We must “purge this crisis to the end”, said Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra on Wednesday. As if to better remind us of the importance of initiating the second in this interminable file. It is in fact the complete opposite that is happening. The future of President Noël Le Graët will not be settled for ten days. The mess is general around his intentions. If he prepares his exit well, he does not digest certain behaviors among his former allies. Meanwhile, Florence Hardouin began her counter-attack.
Comex postponed to February 28
At the beginning of January, in the wake of the resounding “Zizougate”, 48 hours were enough to set up an emergency Comex. This led to the withdrawal of the president, and the temporary layoff of general manager Florence Hardouin. A month and a half later, the Comex no longer shows the same speed.
The date of the next executive committee was finally set for Tuesday, February 28 at 10 a.m. A face-to-face invitation was sent this Thursday morning to each of the participants (Le Graët, the eleven members of his list and two ex officio members). Basically, all these people were supposed to come together just after the publication of the audit and control report. In view of the final conclusions that everyone considers deeply “unfair”, things are taking longer than expected. The school vacation period would not have helped to find a date. A reason to be taken with a grain of salt. “Some people hope that this Comex will never take place so as not to have to take a stand eye to eye,” says a man who was still very recently invited to these meetings.
In any case, this sequence reminds one thing: sports bodies hate that the political world imposes their agenda on them. The committee regrets in passing that the summary made public does not highlight the answers given by the opponents and is satisfied with a “unilateral” version.
Le Graët maintains the blur
The Armorican does not intend to complete his fourth term at the end of 2024. This is the only thing that can be said 100%. It remains to be seen how long this crisis will agonize. “Le Prez”, in place “until further notice” recalled his lawyer on Thursday, has no interest in the audit as such. He only thinks of one thing: to take care of what he can still take care of from his farewells, and above all to influence his succession for as long as he can. Philippe Diallo, interim president, is not part of his plans. He judges this consensual and technocratic profile too close to Ms. Hardouin. More collectively, he also wants to make people pay for the behavior of certain former faithful who have distanced themselves. He planned to call each of them.
“We cannot take the FFF hostage,” laments Éric Borghini, the only one to speak publicly, and who does not rule out resigning at that time. It would take at least seven defections to trigger the dismissal of the Comex. It is an option. Just as it is one that the majority decides to seize the disciplinary committee of the FFF. The advantage of this lever, which the National Ethics Council can also activate, is that it allows Le Graët to leave, without blowing up the Comex at the same time. The downside is that the procedure is time-consuming and entails dragging out the chaos.
Hardouin counter-attacks vigorously
A matter of dignity. Since Wednesday, the entourage of the former director general of the FFF has responded in turn in the media. “If they want war, then we will go there”, sums up his spokesperson and close friend, Dominique Rouch. The leader, victim of a heart attack on January 11 after the announcement of her temporary layoff, categorically refutes the charges against her in the audit. According to the inspectors, it is no longer “able to carry out its missions” because of a management deemed “brutal and erratic”. “There is a difference between being hyper-demanding and being brutal”, protests the communicator, who also personally attacks Noël Le Graët.
For a long time, the Le Graët-Hardouin duo worked. He participated in the sporting and financial recovery of the institution. Until a schism in 2018. From there, the relationship became toxic, aggravated, according to her, by sexist and moral harassment. Among the offending remarks: “I like you in your little white pants”, “My doctor thinks that I would be better if I banged a tall blonde” or even “Get fucked by your guy! “.
Florence Hardouin has an appointment on February 21 for the interview prior to her dismissal for “serious misconduct”. According to our information, she intends to speak about ten days later, between the end of February and the beginning of March. She too has accounts to settle, before finally turning the page.