The Head of French Soccer Resigns Prior to Women's World Cup Amidst Accusations of Sexual Harassment.
Noêl Le Graêt, the recently departed president of the French Football Federation (FFF), is not leaving the soccer world entirely. He's recently been appointed as a delegate for FIFA.
Le Graêt was dismissed from his position on January 11 after making derogatory comments about former French player and manager Zinedine Zidane. This incident led to a series of sexual harassment allegations against him, causing him to lose the support of the French National Team.
A prompt investigation by the Ministry of Sports led to his resignation. The 81-year-old denies the allegations and plans to file a defamation lawsuit against Sports Minister Amelie Oudéa-Castéra for what he believes is manipulation of information.
Multiple sources claim there's additional evidence of Le Graêt's misconduct. Sonia Souid, who represents several French female players, accused him of inappropriate behavior, leading to an official investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office. Another FFF executive, Florence Hardouin, claimed to have suffered sexual harassment at the hands of her former boss.
Le Graêt's tenure at the FFF was marked by success, including the 2018 World Cup win and a Nations League victory in 2021. Philippe Diallo, who has replaced him, will remain in power until the next elections.
Continuing Troubles at FIFA
In spite of the current drama, FIFA has appointed Le Graêt as their delegate at their Paris office. He was given this role back in January 2022 by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Currently, there's no response from FIFA on the possibility of rescinding their offer.
The delegate's duties include managing FIFA member associations and creating the strategic framework for soccer development outcomes through the FIFA Forward Programme. However, this year may prove more challenging due to the ongoing instability in French soccer. The Women's World Cup is scheduled for later in 2022, and several French players have already said they won't be participating.
Wendie Renard, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, and Kadidiatou Diani have all announced their withdrawal, and more are expected to follow suit. This will significantly impact sportsbooks' predictions, moving France from +750 on DraftKings to a fifth-place rating. The absence of players like Renard, who has 14 French Division 1 titles, could affect the betting odds significantly.
Controversial Leadership
Le Graêt has had a tumultuous tenure at the FFF despite the achievements during his term. In January, he made headlines with his negative commentary about Zinedine Zidane during a radio interview with RMC.
When RMC inquired about whether he had spoken to Zidane regarding a potential successor to manager Didier Deschamps, Le Graêt responded with a disparaging remark about the star, suggesting he wouldn't even bother answering his phone. This action deeply troubled many French soccer enthusiasts and played a role in the subsequent accusations against him.
Before this, Le Graêt had already faced scrutiny concerning his conduct within the FFF. In September 2021, the French soccer magazine, So Foot, published sexual messages supposedly sent by Le Graêt to female FFF members. In addition, FFF insiders criticized his "disastrous" management style.
Le Graêt has contested these claims, filing a defamation suit against the magazine.
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