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French football has been associated with his name, which he has helmed since 2011, having so far played in four states. His mandate is expected to expire in 2024, but the time for departure seems to have struck much earlier, especially after the suspension of his duties on Wednesday by the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation. It is Noel Le Graet, who is paying the price today for insults to one of the icons of French football, Zinedine Zidane, and for allegations of sexual harassment. So who is Logret, who climbed the football “throne” in his country for years, conquering the second star with the roosters, before falling into the “abyss”?
The endings are not always in order, as they can arrive quickly and without warning. This may apply to the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, even if he seems to be racing to remove the first stone in the building of his football experience, to start crumbling something for one from Sunday before announcing on Wednesday suspend its functions at the helm of this ancient institution.
Le Graet recently became a staple in French and even international news when he offended a name that has its symbolism in the French sporting scene at large, not just football. This is Zidane, world champion in 1998 and national icon. This came when he responded to a question about the future of Az-Zarq’s former dean by saying, “I don’t care, he can go where he wants.”
And the Minister of Sport, Amelie Odia Castera, who has clearly expressed the desire for Le Graet to leave his position of responsibility, denounced in a tweet: “A shameful lack of respect, which shocked us all, for a sports legend “, given that ” the first president of the sports federation in France should not utter such words.” .
The ax fell on his head, and Le Graet, with subsequent denunciations and criticisms, did not help apologizing. “These inopportune statements have generated a misunderstanding. I would like to offer my personal apologies for these statements, which absolutely do not reflect my thoughts or my appreciation for the player he was and the coach he has become.” But this apology did not stop the wave of resentment against him.
sexual allegations
And these nasty remarks by the president of the French Football Federation were followed on Tuesday by allegations by the business agent, Sonia Sued, of Le Graet of “improper sexual behaviour”. Suwaid spoke of a meeting she had with him, which was aimed at promoting women’s football, but she tried to exploit it to the advantage of other goals: “She told me face-to-face, in her apartment, very clearly, that if I wanted him to help me, I had to undergo an annoying test”.
The agent explained that he has heard that “every time, the only thing that interests him, and I apologize for speaking vulgarly, are my breasts and my ass.” This testimony was welcomed by Sports Minister Amelie Odea Castera, who congratulated “Sonja Suede on her courageous testimony” on Twitter.
In a previous investigation, sports magazine ‘So Foot’ revealed inappropriate behavior by Le Graet, especially text messages of a sexual nature, despite his rebuttal. Sweden’s allegations are considered the first testimony directed against him by a woman officially involved in the world of professional football, while ‘France Inter’ radio revealed that ‘many women’ had denounced the audit mission for ‘the behavior of Noel Le Graet against them”.
“political monster”
Le Graet was born in the Cote d’Armoux region of Brotan in northwestern France to a poor family. He has been on the “throne” of French football since 2011. His current mandate is the fourth and should end in 2024.
Le Graet made his name domestically from the town of Guingamp in the same region where he was born, prompting his local amateur side to compete for the European Cup. He presided over the municipality of this city from 1995 to 2008. He He also presided, between 1991 and 2000, the French Professional Football League, which manages the second division championship.
Those close to him describe him as a “political monster” who exercised on the field in the ranks of the Socialist Party. It is said that he was always aware of the passages that lead to strong relations with the Elysee. His relationship, according to observers, has always been strong with the French presidential palace, both during the period of François Hollande and during the era of the current president Emmanuel Macron.
His statements in the past have also caused him a lot of trouble. Especially the one in which he said that “there is little or no racism” in football. Then his expressive slides that moved the players, after declaring: “They can tear their hair out” as long as they win.
One of the second star engineers
But Le Graet remains one of the main architects of obtaining France’s second star at the 2018 World Cup, alongside coach Didier Deschamps. Women’s football also gained significant momentum during his presidential tenure, and France staged the Women’s World Cup Finals during his tenure, particularly in 2019.
During his presidency of the federation, this institution became the owner of significant wealth, especially after acquiring the marketing rights associated with roosters, which is like a hen that gives birth to gold. Le Graet owns a food business, employing hundreds of workers specializing in fish, canned and frozen foods.
Given his age, which exceeded the eighth decade, some have asked for his departure for this, and his response was through an interview with the newspaper Le Monde: “Age does not matter. I know incompetent people in their fifties” .
Growing voices called for his departure
It seems that the “king” of the French Football Federation has become an outcast from everyone, and is now within reach of the hour of definitive departure after suspending his duties. The meeting held by the Executive Committee clearly determined his fate and laid the first step towards the end of his career, which would have allowed the internal house of the federation to be reorganized.
And the voices calling for his departure increased day by day. After the Minister of Sport, the head of the Ethics Committee of the Federation, Patrick Anton, joined those calling for his resignation on Tuesday, saying that “Le Graet has made statements showing that he has lost some of his grace. He appears tired and needs rest.” Anton expressed the federation’s need for “strong and calm leadership”, adding: “We can only ask him to step down for the benefit of football.”
Mbappé was the first of the players to denounce Le Graet’s statements about Zidane. Many other players have joined him, including the 1998 world champion, along with “Zizou” Frank Lobov, who summed up his position by saying: “When we lack a certain degree of diplomacy in a political position, meaning that we no longer have the competence to stay there.
Boualem Ghobchi
