January 12 – Veteran French football boss Noël Le Graët, a member of FIFA’s all-powerful Council, has agreed to step down following an emergency executive committee meeting into his behaviour.
Just weeks after France’s defeat in the World Cup final the controversial Le Graet has thrown in the towel – at least temporarily – following a series of high-profile controversies.
In the latest, the French federation (FFF) president apologised earlier this week over remarks he made about national icon Zinedine Zidane’s potential interest in taking over the national team whose coach Didier Deschamps has just been given an extended contract.
In an interview with French radio, Le Graet said he “wouldn’t even have taken his call” if Zidane had been in touch about replacing Didier Deschamps, adding: “I don’t give a damn, he can go wherever he wants.”
Deschamps said Le Graët’s comments were “inappropriate” and that it was “a very good thing that he apologised to Zizou (Zidane).”
In a statement, the FFF said 81-year-old Le Graët “in agreement with the FFF executive committee gathered today in Paris, has chosen to step down from his role as president until the completion of the audit performed by the sports ministry.”
The storm around Zidane followed a series of accusations of mistreatment by employees at the FFF, which led to the French government launching an audit of the federation and Le Graet being summoned to attend a hearing.
Le Graët denied those accusations, but on Tuesday his conduct again came under the spotlight with a female football agent making further accusations of unwanted sexual advances in an interview with sports daily L’Equipe.
French sports minister Amelie Oudéa-Castéra had already piled more pressure on Le Graët, accusing him on Monday of “damaging the image of our country.”
With committee members taking the view that Le Graët ‘s position had become untenable, he has been replaced on an interim basis by FFF vice-president Philippe Diallo. The FFF’s director general, Florence Hardouin, has also been suspended “as a precautionary measure”.
The audit is expected to be completed by the end of January though whether Le Graët’s credibility will have been sufficiently restored for him to return must be in serious doubt.
His position on the all-powerful FIFA council where is currently a candidate for another four-year term must also be in question.
The other candidate is Portuguese FA president Fernando Gomes with the election set for April 5 at the UEFA Congress in Lisbon.
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