Twelve years of reign, sporting successes, fabulous sponsorship contracts but an exit through the very small door. Noël Le Graët finally agreed on Tuesday to let go of the presidency of the French Football Federation. This departure had been buzzing for several days, but the person concerned left doubt about his intentions until the end. As if not to give the impression of giving in to media and political pressure.
The announcement fell at midday during the extraordinary Comex organized at the headquarters of the Fed and which he therefore directed for the last time. This departure, almost all of his running mates now called for him, in an attempt to protect the image of 3F. NLG spoke in front of its ten faithful and in front of the two members of right who are Vincent Labrune, president of the Professional League (LFP), and Vincent Nolorgues, boss of amateur football (LFA).
« Zizougate » et audit, le cocktail fatal
The Breton leader had been re-elected in March 2021 in the first round and saw himself reaching the end of his mandate, at the end of 2024. Especially after the remarkable course of the Blues during the World Cup in Qatar. Only, the pressure has become too strong in the face of the accumulation of criticism at the start of the school year. His umpteenth media blunder on January 8 against Zinédine Zidane launched a great wave of indignation. Taunted by a certain Kylian Mbappé, he was then set back in stride. Then the final conclusions of the audit, and the accusations of sexual and moral harassment, came to weigh down the file.
At 81, Noël Le Graët is now retired. An unknown notion for this workaholic, whose friendly and then toxic collaboration with its general manager Florence Hardouin in recent years at the FFF, has severely tarnished the balance sheet. He is nonetheless the man of renewal who, from 2011, has straightened the sports performance of the French teams, especially among the A’s with his friend Didier Deschamps, as well as the finances of the Fede.
As provided for in the statutes, Vice-President Philippe Diallo will now occupy the interim presidency for the next three months. On June 10, a Federal Assembly will be held to give its opinion on the summit of the institution. The leaders of amateur and professional football will have to validate or not the name proposed by the Comex among its ten members.