Noël Le Graët, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), caused an outcry following his remarks made against Zinédine Zidane during an interview with RMC Sport.
Deschamps continues, ‘nothing to shake’ from Zidane…
After announcing the extension of Didier Deschamps at the head of the French selection until 2026, Noël Le Graët was asked about the Zidane case.
Long tipped to take over from his teammate and captain in 1998, “Zizou”’s candidacy was ultimately not accepted. Le Graët was therefore questioned about this decision and his response was as brief as it was irreverent:
“Zinedine Zidane in Brazil? I do not care. He can go where he wants, to a club or to a national team. I don’t really mind. Did he try to call me? Certainly not. I wouldn’t even have picked up for him”.
A wave of indignation
This statement caused a wave of indignation and led Paris Saint-Germain and France striker Kylian Mbappé (24) to come to Zidane’s defense in a tweet:
“Zidane is France. We don’t disrespect a legend like that.”
Many athletes have followed suit and even political figures have taken a stand since the French Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, in turn called on Noël Le Graët to apologize.
Late and clumsy apologies
Faced with general outrage, Noël Le Graët finally apologized in an interview with AFP and said that his “clumsy comments created a misunderstanding” and that he “apologies” to Zidane. He added that his comments did not reflect his thoughts and regard for the legendary footballer.
The remarks he made weren’t necessarily intentional, but he admitted they were inappropriate and could have been interpreted as an insult to Zidane.
To remember :
- The FFF president’s inappropriate remarks towards Zidane have drawn criticism.
- Kylian Mbappé and the Minister of Sports have taken a stand.
- Noël Le Graët had to apologize.
