The throne had never wavered so much before. Noël Le Graët will soon be heard by his own executive committee (comex), information that we are able to reveal. This meeting scheduled for the next few days does not mean that his dismissal will be officially demanded. But it increases the pressure on the boss of French football, more isolated than ever and at open war with the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.
A little earlier in the day on Tuesday, FranceInfo revealed that several members of the comex, this body bringing together Le Graët, eleven people elected with him in March 2021 in the first round, and two ex officio members (the president of the Professional Football League and the Amateur Football League), were pressing to call a meeting. With number two Philippe Diallo and OL president Jean-Michel Aulas on the front line.
On the form, the extension of Deschamps tensed
This request, which requires the approval of at least four of its members, is now accepted. This interview can be held face-to-face or via videoconference.
Three major points will be on the agenda. The first concerns governance as such and the reasons why the executive committee was not consulted and informed before the extension of Didier Deschamps until 2026. This renewal was indeed unveiled with great fanfare last Saturday, the day after a meeting of the comex during which Le Graët did not want to share anything. What today provokes the ire of the professional world, in particular.
Secondly, the leaders wish to have clarifications on the exit from the road of the “Menhir” against Zinédine Zidane. They are surprised, to put it mildly, at the virulence of his remarks and wonder why the communication service of the FFF was short-circuited.
Finally, the frightening testimony of Sonia Souid must also be the subject of a discussion. The players’ agent revealed to L’Équipe and BFMTV on Monday that she had suffered inappropriate advances, with supporting evidence (SMS, voice messages, calls) between 2013 and 2017.
Le Graët called on each of the members
Still according to our information, Noël Le Graët consulted each of the 13 members of the executive committee to find out if he wanted to resign. As a reminder, the comex cannot dismiss the president. He can simply push him to withdraw by putting him in the minority and asking for an extraordinary Federal Assembly.
Regulatory speaking, this assembly, made up roughly of the leaders of leagues and districts, is the only legitimate one to dismiss the president of the largest sports federation in France. A vote would then take place to decide whether or not to maintain the entire executive committee. It should be noted that the Federal Assembly can also seize itself insofar as this request comes from at least a quarter of the representatives.
“We have to do it, we have to discuss it and clarify the situation”
“We are still far from an extraordinary GA”, tempers with the Parisian Albert Gemmrich, president of the Grand Est league and ally of Le Graët at the comex since 2012. The latter even says he finds “a little surprising that we concerned in high places about the management of the FFF when it has never been so well”. On the other hand, he confirms that he supports the holding of an internal meeting soon. “We have to do it, we have to discuss it and clarify the situation,” he says. No question, however, to hear it, to make a decision before the publication of the ministerial audit at the end of the month.
Note that in the event that Le Graët resigns on his own, the situation would be very different. The other 13 members of the comex would remain in place. It is then the deputy president Philippe Diallo who will occupy the position of interim president until the next general assembly. This is on the agenda for June 10.