The final report of the inspectors who carried out an audit for several weeks within the French Football Federation underlines that the “drifts of behavior” of President Noël Le Graët “are incompatible with the exercise of functions and the requirement of exemplary attached to it”, according to a summary made public on Wednesday.
As in the interim report, which leaked last week, the final summary stresses that Noël Le Graët “no longer has the legitimacy necessary to administer and represent French football”. As a reminder, the Menhir, 81 years old and in office since 2011, has been withdrawn since January 11, a decision taken a few days after yet another slippage this time targeting Zinedine Zidane.
The testimonies collected by the inspectors also insist on “the inappropriate behavior of Mr. Le Graët towards women”. There is mention of “comments and SMS emanating from Mr. Le Graët, ambiguous for some and of a clearly sexual nature for others, but also of the late schedule of the mailings, their repetitive nature and the nature of the recipients to women placed under his authority and/or in a dependent relationship”. “The inappropriate and insulting nature of Mr. Le Graët’s remarks may be accentuated by excessive alcohol consumption”, adds the report.
Hardouin also targeted
This document does not only target the former socialist mayor of Guingamp. General manager Florence Hardouin – also laid off on January 11 – is also criticized for her management deemed “brutal” and her “erratic” behavior. His personal and authoritarian management of the employment safeguard plan (PSE), which resulted in 24 dismissals and 22 job cuts, concentrates many criticisms.
More generally, the inspectors denounce a system that lacks checks and balances and a place for deliberation. The comex, which only brings together the faithful of the president, is in the sights, as are the moral authorities such as the ethics committee and the High Football Authority. They are clearly described there as empty shells.