January 11 – The head of French football is fighting for his job as the backlash intensifies into controversial comments he made about national icon Zinedine Zidane.
French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet (pictured), a FIFA Council member, has apologised for “clumsy remarks” he made about Zidane’s potential interest in coaching the national team.
But that hasn’t stopped the pressure mounting with the French Football Federation executive committee members calling for an extraordinary meeting this Wednesday and even French president Emanuel Macron wading into the story.
In an interview with French radio, 81-year-old 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.”
Zidane, who won the Champions League three times in a row when he was in charge of Real Madrid and won the World Cup with France as a player in 1998, is currently without a job and sporting stars and politicians have accused Le Graet of disrespect.
Real Madrid said it “regrets the unfortunate statements” towards Zidane and Le Graet was quick to apologise saying his comments “do not reflect” his views “nor my consideration for the player he (Zidane) was and the coach he has become.”
“I gave an interview to [French radio station] RMC that I should not have given because they were looking for controversy by opposing Didier and Zinedine Zidane, two greats of French football.
“I admit that I made some clumsy remarks which created a misunderstanding.”
Despite Le Graet backtracking, it appears the row has now escalated to the highest echelons of government.
RMC radio claims Macron has approached former French boss and ex-UEFA president Michel Platini to see if he’d be interested in a comeback now that his FIFA ban has expired.
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