Cornered by harassment allegations, the controversial president of the French Football Federation has left office

The President of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noël Le Graët (81), provisionally left his post on Wednesday following several allegations against him, including allegations of harassment of employees at the agency he has headed for the past 12 years.

“Noël Le Graëtaccording to the Executive Committee of the FFF meeting in Paris, ha chose to retire from his duties as President until the final communication of the audit carried out by the Ministry of Sport, and pending its analysis by the Comex of the FFF,” announced the French Football Federation, through a press release.

“The FFF committee also decided to fire Florence Hardouin, director general of the FFF, on a precautionary basis. From today (Wednesday), Philip DialloDeputy Vice-President of the FFF, will act as interim director of these two functions,” he added.

According to the official statement, these decisions they do not affect the continuity of Didier Deschamps at the head of the second world team. “The FFF committee, informed of the terms of the extension of Didier Deschamps’ contract at the helm of the French national team until 2026, has been approved unanimously,” he explained in a short text published on his website.

Le Graët, had received several agency employee complaints. This was the case of Sonia Souid, the players’ agent, who through a press release informed of the complaint filed against Le Graët for “sexual harassment”.

These issues, as well as the extension for Deschamps and the coach’s rudeness towards Zinedine Zidane, a former French football star, were addressed in the extraordinary meeting held this Wednesday.

At the time, Le Graët said he cared”a damned“Where was Zidane going before the rumors of a possible arrival in the Brazilian team.

“Zidane in Brazil? I don’t give a damn, let him go wherever he wants! He can go wherever he wants, to a club, to the national team… I don’t know, I’d be surprised. He does whatever he wants, it’s none of my business, not the I have never seen and we have never thought of parting ways with Didier Deschamps”, the president of the FFF had commented to date in an interview with RMC Sport a few days ago.

The verbose Le Graët

Complaints of sexual harassment by women working for the organization were the straw that broke the camel’s back, for a verbose president who had added problems with the French government. His harsh and derogatory comments on the subject of “racism” do not go unnoticed by anyone.

Phrases such as “racism in sport, especially in football, does not exist”, after a request for management intervention by star Kylian Mbappé; or “I was one of the leading voices for the One Love bracelet not to be worn”, with which several countries wanted to use it in protest against Qatar, were at least controversial traits of the now former president of the FFF.

With information from agencies