Paris (EFE) the world of football as director of the FIFA office in France.
The resignation of Le Graët, who is 81 years old and had been in office for eleven, was made official during a meeting of the executive committee of the FFF in Paris.
In a statement, the federation indicated that on an interim basis, it will be the vice president, Philippe Diallo, who will be in charge of the FFF until the next federal assembly scheduled for June 10.
From president of the French Football Federation to head of the FIFA office in France
However, Le Graët will continue to be linked to high-level football as head of the FIFA office in France, according to various French media reports today.
Le Graët has been appointed “because of its competence and experience”, a member of the FFF Executive Committee, Éric Borghini, told L’Equipe.
The former president had been removed from his responsibilities at the helm of the federation since last January 11 due to strong pressure against him. The triggering element then was an interview on a radio station in which he mocked Zinedine Zidane.
In addition, on the 30th, an inspection report commissioned by the Ministry of Sports on the management of the FFF was published, in which a “sexist and violent environment” was denounced, as well as other “dysfunctions” and, above all, insisted on that Le Graët let the situation get worse.
The conclusion of the editors of that document is that it no longer had “the necessary legitimacy to manage and represent French football”, among other things due to “a problematic attitude” towards women that “can be described as sexist at least”.
The FFF supports the sports balance of the former president
Despite everything, in its statement the FFF supports “the remarkable sporting and economic balance of Noël Le Graët” and recalls, in particular that since his election on June 18, 2011, the men’s and women’s teams have won 11 titles and have also played 6 international tournament finals.
“These excellent results are explained in particular by an ambitious training policy”, which is considered “one of the best in the world”, stresses the federation, which emphasizes that the practice of women’s football has progressed “in a significant”, with 206,000 chips now, when there were less than 90,000 in 2011-2012.
In the economic field, it indicates that the good figures obtained have made it possible to double aid to amateur football, which this season has reached a historical record of 104 million euros.
The FFF complains about the content of the audit commissioned by the Ministry, stating that “it is based less on objective facts than on appreciations” and that this has led in some cases to its “disproportionate denigration”.
Along these lines, he regrets that there was no “real contradictory procedure” that would have allowed his observations on the governance of the institution or on sexist and sexual violence to be taken into account.
In this last regard, the federation reaffirms its “strong commitment against sexist and sexual violence” which “was and continues to be a priority.”