Scandal surrounding French football boss Noel Le Graet

• Noel Le Graet has stepped aside as French Football Federation president
• Le Graet has been in the headlines with different scandals in the recent past
• SportsLeo takes a look at the scandal surrounding the French Football head leading to his resignation

Even the most ardent lovers of French football must concede that the frequency of scandals each year is extraordinary. After a verbal exchange between Zinedine Zidane and the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noel Le Graet, 2023 appears to be no different so far.

Kylian Mbappe weighed in on the subject with his opinions, and now that the president has been forced to resign, French football will have yet another distraction so soon after losing to Argentina in the 2022 Qatar World Cup final.

Here is an explainer of how the scandal unfolded and who has been speaking up about it.

What Noel Le Grat said about Zinedine Zidane

Le Grat, 81, was questioned by French radio station RMC earlier in January about how he would have felt if Zinedine Zidane had called to try to grab the France position. Didier Deschamps recently extended his contract for another year through 2026.

Le Graët responded emphatically, “I wouldn’t even have taken his call. To tell him what? ‘Hello sir. Don’t worry. Look for another club. I just agreed a contract with Didier.’

“It’s up to him what he does. It’s not my business. I’ve never met him and we’ve never considered parting with Didier. He can go where he wants, to a club. He would have as many as he wants in Europe, a big club. But a national side is hardly credible, to my mind.”

On Monday, Le Graet apologised for his remarks regarding Zidane, who is revered as a French football great. After Mbappe wrote, “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect a legend like that,” along with a face-palm emoji, the apology followed.

Zinedine Zidane has won the UEFA Champions League both as a manager and a player for Real Madrid . | PHOTO: UEFA |

Le Graet then apologized for his comments, which in no way represented his views or his consideration for the player he was and the coach he has evolved into, given Mbappe’s influence on French football.

“I gave an interview to [French radio station] RMC that I should not have given because they were looking for controversy by opposing Didier and Zinedine Zidane, two greats of French football. I admit that I made some clumsy remarks which created a misunderstanding.”

Le Graët step back from FFF role

Le Graet began to come under increasing amounts of pressure from both inside and outside of French football. Hugo Lloris, a goalkeeper who recently left the international game, stated to L’Equipe: “Certain actions are inappropriate. Former France players must not be disrespected, especially a legend like Zinedine Zidane.”

Even Real Madrid, a team where Zidane had won La Liga and the Champions League as a player and later numerous times as a coach, issued an official statement.

Noel Le Graet has stepped aside from his French Football Federation president duty. | PHOTO; Sky Sports |

The statement from Los Blancos said: “These remarks show a lack of respect for one of the most admired figures by football fans around the world, and our club is awaiting an immediate correction. Zinedine Zidane, World and European champion representing his country, amongst many other honours, he embodies the values of the sport and has proven this throughout his professional career as a player and as a coach.”

As well as that, the head of the FFF’s ethics committee, Patrick Anton, also spoke to L’Equipe and said: “Le Graët has made comments that show he has lost some of his transparency. He is a man who is tired, who needs to move on.”

On Wednesday, Le Graët agreed to step aside from his role pending an investigation from the Ministry of Sports. Florence Hardouin, the general manager, was also fired, and Philippe Diallo, the deputy vice president, has taken over. Le Graët has received accusations about his private behaviour in the past.

Sonia Souid, a 37-year-old female football agent, made public accusations earlier this week that Le Graet was willing to help her initiative to grow women’s football, but only if she became “close” to him.

He invited her to a meeting at his flat, where he said the then head of women’s football, Brigitte Henriques, would be, too, but when Souid arrived, it was just the two of them. “If we are close enough to each other, I will manage to put your ideas into practice,” said Le Graët, according to Souid’s account of the meeting.

“And it was as though I had received an enormous slap in the face. I saw myself as competent and legitimate, but I realised that the only thing which interested him were my two breasts and my arse. He just saw me as a girl whose only purpose was to get into bed with him.”