Noël Le Graët has kept the honor to himself. After a series of scandals, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) submitted his resignation on Tuesday.
Le Graët was at the helm of the FFF for a total of twelve years. Several incidents have damaged his reputation in recent years. After the lost World Cup final, Le Graët rejected the suggestion to replace Didier Deschamps with Zinedine Zidane. The outgoing chairman even said not to answer the phone if the former star of Les Bleus called him. Moments later, he personally extended Deschamps’ contract without informing his fellow drivers. Le Graët was then suspended.
That was the story with the men. Emotions ran even higher among the women. So Foot accused Le Graët of having committed sexual misconduct against female colleagues. Moreover, there would be a culture within the FFF in which such behavior is the most normal thing in the world. According to Reuters, an independent investigation committee has now shown that Le Graët sent “ambiguous and clearly sexual text messages”.
It is certain that things are rumbling within the national women’s team. Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto and captain Wendie Renard have announced that they will not go to the World Cup this summer. That has everything to do with the presence of national coach Corinne Diacre. The extraordinary executive committee will also review the role of the woman of choice on Tuesday.
Le Graët no longer has to say anything about this. After the findings of the investigative committee came to the table, the 81-year-old businessman knew enough. The report showed that the director in no way had a future with the French federation.
Noël Le Graët offered a job by FIFA immediately
Le Graët’s fourth term was due to expire in 2024, but it will not come that far. Not surprisingly, the other board members have agreed to his departure. Philippe Diallo already served as interim chairman and will continue to do so until June next year. After that, a definitive successor is appointed.
The saga around the French director Noël Le Graët has taken another bizarre turn. After a series of scandals, Le Graët resigned on Tuesday morning and is now reportedly getting a new job at FIFA immediately.
The president of the French football federation realized that his position was no longer tenable and resigned on Tuesday morning. FIFA saw the chance and immediately offered him a job as head of the new office in Paris. Eric Borghini, member of the executive committee of the French federation, confirmed this to RMC Sport.
“We thank him for his exceptional record,” Borghini said. “He was a great leader and he has now been appointed to FIFA by Gianni Infantino. He will run the Paris office there. FIFA chose him for his skills, expertise and experience,” says Borghini.
