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audit report will contain nothing against him

Written by on January 11, 2023

Football: four questions on the withdrawal of Noël Le Graët from the presidency of the FFF

By deciding to step back from his post as president of the French Football Federation (FFF) on Wednesday, Noël Le Graët opened the way to a wave of uncertainty.

The pressure was way too much. After many controversies, including the latest following his contemptuous remarks towards Zinédine Zidane, Noël Le Graët decided to withdraw from his duties as president of the FFF, Wednesday January 11. An interim is put in place to take care of day-to-day business. Why ? By who ? Until when ? Elements of answers on the next deadlines which will impact the largest sports federation in France.

Why did Noël Le Graët and Florence Hardouin, its general manager, leave their posts?
Two days after making contemptuous remarks towards Zinédine Zidane, which caused a new controversy, Noël Le Graët decided, at the end of an Executive Committee of the FFF, meeting urgently on Wednesday, to withdraw. The Executive Committee also decided “the layoff on a protective basis of Florence Hardouin, the general manager,” said the “3F” in a press release.

The two highest officials of the Federation are indeed questioned by numerous testimonies, revealed in the press for several months, at the origin of the audit carried out by the Ministry of Sports, on September 16, to make the light on accusations of harassment and dysfunctions. To ensure the interim, as provided for in the statutes of the “3F”, it is the vice-president, Philippe Diallo, who will perform the two functions.

How long will the interim last?
Launched in mid-September by the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, after a meeting with Noël Le Graët and Florence Hardouin, the audit was to be returned in mid-February. In view of the new controversies and numerous political pressures (government spokesman Olivier Véran estimated Wednesday morning that the FFF “deserves a president at the height”), this could happen more quickly, by the end of January.

One thing is certain: the withdrawal of Noël Le Graët and Florence Hardouin, and therefore the interim provided by Philippe Diallo, will apply until the publication of the audit. “He will take over for the few days that separate us from the production of the audit report, specified Eric Borghini, president of the Mediterranean League and member of the Comex. We will make a new Comex at that time to study the results of this audit and a final decision, one way or the other, will be taken by the Comex.”

Will Noël Le Graët be able to get his job back?
By explaining the withdrawal of Noël Le Graët by holding the audit, the Executive Committee of the FFF linked the future of its president to the conclusions of this investigation. Eric Borghini, guest on the set of France Info, clarified that Noël Le Graët had opened the Comex by saying that he had done nothing, and that “the audit report will contain nothing against” him.

In this case, it would seem that the president of the “3F” will go until the end of his mandate, in 2024. If the final report of the audit is “negative, he [Noël Le Graët] will resign”, also assured the president of the Mediterranean League, before adding about this report: “If it is positive, which we all hope, he will continue his mission until the end of his mandate.”

Does the political power have the means to dismiss Noël Le Graët?
No it’s impossible. At least, in fact, and very officially, the government cannot intervene directly in the dismissal of a president or a member of a sports federation, even if it is placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports. Eric Borghini also recalled, during his interview with France Info, that “the rules of Fifa are very precise since Fifa prohibits any political interference in the affairs of the federations.” That of Nigeria, for example, had paid the price in 2010 and 2014, after being sanctioned and suspended for state interference.

In addition, the government, via its Ministry of Sports, can very well maintain a certain pressure on the federations, and even request, publicly, the resignation or the withdrawal of a senior leader. This was the case recently with the French Rugby Federation, Bernard Laporte having to provide “all the necessary guarantees of the effectiveness” of his withdrawal. Or with that of ice sports when the Minister of Sports at the time (2020), Roxana Maracineanu, had explicitly requested the resignation of its president, Didier Gailhaguet.

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audit report will contain nothing against him

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