Those who imagined the beginning of a new era at the head of the French Football Federation, this Tuesday, can go get dressed. Certainly, at the end of this day, Noël Le Graët is officially no longer its president, after 11 years of reign and several months of blind obstinacy while the sad revelations followed one another. But to see how things went, the FFF has certainly missed out on a golden opportunity to start over.
NLG left, therefore, but the senior leaders of the instance made it clear that this was a coerced and forced decision. You only have to read the press release announcing the news to realize it. A first part on “the remarkable sporting and economic record” of the Breton leader, a second on the audit responsible for examining the management of the Federation having resulted in “a disproportionate denigration of the body”… and then nothing. Nothing on the “inappropriate public positions”, “inappropriate behavior towards women” or “excessive alcohol consumption” of the “Menhir”, highlighted by the investigation of the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research (IGESR).
Le Graët’s sporting record cannot be discussed, indeed. He was a great leader of French football. But it would have been possible not to mix everything up, and to greet the resigning without putting aside the alleged facts and supported by a multitude of testimonies. Instead, the members of the Comex did not hesitate to be pathos, as if the fall of the ex-president was totally unjustified. Listen to Eric Borghini, one of the 14 members of the executive committee, at the end of the meeting:
“The Comex went well, reason prevailed. The president resigned as expected, he was extremely moving and we were all very sad. It is at the moment not only historic but also emotionally very strong for everyone. We thanked the President for the quite exceptional record and the great leader that he was. »
“A governance that is neither democratic nor transparent”
We hardly dare to imagine how the Comex would have managed things without pressure from outside, and in particular from the Ministry of Sports. Moreover, none of the members resigned on an individual basis, which would also have been a way of assuming their responsibilities, while the audit concluded that this driving force behind 3F had not played its part. role in the face of the excesses of its president.
A situation pointed out by the former president of the League Frédéric Thiriez, who presented himself against Le Graët during the last federal elections in March 2021. “The departure of a man will not solve all the problems of the FFF , far from it, he estimated with our colleagues from The Team. It is urgent that the federation gets back on track, (…) by changing its governance which is neither democratic nor transparent. »
The attentive Ministry of Sports
The sequel, precisely, will be akin to a great power game. The interim president, Philippe Diallo, will continue his mission until June 10, the date of the next federal assembly. The latter will then be responsible for appointing someone in charge until the next election in 2024. It could be Diallo himself, but he will probably not be the only candidate. The president of the Paris-Ile-de-France League, Jamel Sandjak, began to put his pawns at the end of last week by resigning from the Comex. A way of being able to play the change card in the future. “I can only observe our powerlessness to project ourselves towards the challenges of tomorrow”, had in particular justified the leader. The names of Jean-Michel Aulas, Marc Keller and even Michel Platini are also mentioned for the next term.
After positioning herself in favor of a departure from Noël Le Graët, the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera assured this Tuesday that she trusted the men in place to get out of this quagmire. “I have confidence in the future of 3F, in the quality of its teams and in the ability of its authorities to draw lessons from recent months to emerge stronger, in the service of French football, she said. announced via press release. The Federation will now be able to move forward and do everything possible, under the interim presidency of Philippe Diallo, to get out of the crisis with the sights on the next democratic deadlines. »
If she could not go further, the minister, we understand, will remain attentive to the next signals emitted from 87 boulevard de Grenelle. The FFF must take stock of the crisis that is shaking it. As for Noël Le Graët, he will be able to concentrate on his mission as director of the Paris office of Fifa, where he already had responsibilities. “He was appointed because of his skills, his expertise and his experience,” said Eric Borghini. An exit from the top also welcomed by Jean-Michel Aulas and Marc Keller, as if nothing had happened. Apparently, 81 is not a retirement age in that world.