The outrage against Zidane and accusations of harassment were deadly

The end of the French football era, but the crisis does not end: The official resignation from President Noel Le Graet of the FFF has arrived (Transalpine Football Association) arrived on Tuesday, February 28, during an Extraordinary Executive Committee Meeting. A month and a half after his dismissal, which occurred on January 11, after a series of accusations of sexism and racism, as well as inappropriate statements towards Zinedine Zidane, and thus the mandate that has lasted since 2011 is coming to an end. And now, French football is looking for a new guide to eliminate disputes and crises once and for all.

Long shadows over Le Graët’s department They had already introduced themselves last September following an article that appeared in “So Foot” which reported numerous testimonies from former employees and collaborators who denounced the discriminatory climate within the union, as well as the conduct of the president himself. Accused of sexual harassment. A river of mud flooded the chair with other grievances which gradually continued also in other information organs across the Alps. In the face of all this, French Sports Minister Amelie Odea Castera ordered An investigation into FFF management. The Inspectorate General for Education, Sports and Research (IGESR) then questioned more than a hundred employees and former employees of the federation for several months before submitting a report beyond any reasonable doubt. The conclusions in Le Graët pointed to a man “problematic data” and with a “inappropriate behavior towards women”. For this, Le Graët then ceased to exist “legitimacy” to maintain its functionality.

The protest was born in France after accusations of sexism and harassment against the president of the Football Association

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The crisis within the French Football Federation took a more serious turn in mid-January with the opening of the Paris prosecutor’s office Additional investigation of moral and sexual harassment against Noel LeGreat. Not only that: the various antecedents he saw Participate in situations and statements specified later “Discriminatory and inappropriate”. In 2020, he refused to admit there was a problem with racism in French football, and in general: “The phenomenon of racism in sports, and football in particular, does not exist or is a trivial matter.” publicly stated. And During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar He was among the first and most determined to oppose the leadership “one love” Affirming his complete indifference to the defense of gay rights.

Noël Le Graët with Gianni Infantino, FIFA President: at the 2022 World Cup he opposed the use of the “One Love” badge to defend LGBT rights

in the end, The coup d’etat that left him no escape In front of a public opinion that had seen him in dismay for some time: the attack on French football icon Zinedine Zidane. A guest at the RMC on January 8, the day after Didier Deschamps formally extended the coaching agreement until 2026, the FFF president let himself be taken down by France’s most celebrated playmaker in an unforgivable way: “What if Zidane tries to contact me? Of course not, I wouldn’t even answer his phone. Will he go to Brazil? I don’t care, he can go wherever he wants! He can go wherever he wants, to a club or a national team. As far as I’m concerned, I can hardly believe it’s possible…” Such alarming statements that he was asked to step down, first retiring from office on January 11, and then offering his now official resignation. which no one will refuse.