Attacked by his opponents, especially on amateur football, the president of the French Federation of football (FFF) Noël Le Graët told AFP on Monday that he had no lessons to be learned from anyone
before running for a third term on Saturday, that of the reconquest
after one very difficult period
.
In April 2019, you declared: “wisdom would require me to stop” at the end of my mandate. So you are not wise?
I find that I am in great shape. At the time, I was perhaps moderately healthy. For quite some time, I had been persuaded to introduce myself.
Federal campaigns are often tough between candidates. What about the one that ends?
It is clear: I did not respond to anything, to any attack. It may be a bit of experience … It is no use criticizing your opponent or bringing negative things. I did not read what was being said elsewhere. With all my team, we toured France. We did not miss a League (regional, Editor’s note): each time there were 50 or 60 people in front of us with real questions, real answers. It is important and respectful work.
At the end of the campaign, Frédéric Thiriez no longer holds back his blows against you.
(He cuts) I don’t know, I don’t care. It is not in my nature, I am not in the excess or in the attack. I prefer to answer real questions.
In each campaign, your competitors accuse you of listening to amateur football only in the weeks leading up to the election. What do you answer them?
Three quarters of our budget goes to amateur football. Last year there were 100 million! Nobody told me that, but I went to see all the amateurs. And then, I’m still in Guingamp, I’m not all the time in this office (of the FFF in Paris, Editor’s note). I was president of an amateur club for a long time, I know where I come from. I know the difficulties and also the happiness of being an amateur. I have nothing to learn from anyone.
By reversing the resumption of National 2 and Women’s D2, did the government shoot you in the foot?
The virus has not let go of us so football cannot be a priority. There are still risks in having people travel all over France, so I accept even if I regret. For the Championships, if we do not have a favorable response in the next fortnight, it will be very difficult in terms of the calendar. On the other hand, opening the doors to the stadium as quickly as possible, to organize friendly matches or tournaments, is necessary.
Thiriez promises to double the licensees, to reach four million, including one million girls in 10 years. What do you think of this goal?
No one serious could say that. After Knysna, we progressed by 30%, we were on a formidable slope. The Covid-19 has brought us down quite sharply, and having high goals today is a fundamental mistake. First of all, health must return everywhere.
How did you convince your former opponent Jamel Sandjak, president of the Ligue de Paris-Île de France, to join you?
Maybe now was the time to make peace even though there never were any crazy differences. He knows amateur football well, he will obviously have his say.
If you are elected, what image do you want to convey in your future mandate?
That of someone who knew how to be serious in a very difficult period. […] The experience I have can be useful. I think the Federation has lived up to the period. The period of the reconquest is coming, it has not yet started.
You face accusations of sexism after talking about Les Bleues who can “pull their hair” as long as they win. Does this harm recent advances in women’s football?
I still have the impression that I have done a lot for women’s football, to always defend Corinne (Deacon, the coach, Editor’s note), to have a general manager that I defend because she deserves, and to have women in all departments. In my company, I have 780 employees and I have my two daughters who take good care of them. So no, frankly, we can always look for what we want, it has no interest. No regrets.
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