Crisis at FFF: “It only remains for him to leave with elegance”, the amateur world criticizes Noel Le Grae.

Such unanimity is rarely achieved. And yet it is a feat achieved by the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Grae, not only thrown back by his relatives, but also not by his base, the base of amateur football. “Le Grae quickly realized that he had made a big mistake, he quickly apologized (after the Sunday remarks of Zinedine Zidane), says Samir Salah, coach of Torcy, regional club 1 of the Seine and Marne.

“With him it’s either hot or cold all the time. It is absolutely unbelievable to allow such clumsiness in communication when you have your own level of responsibility. When I heard those words, I wondered if he was normal,” he continues.

“He’s either crazy or unconscious”

For Philippe Segond, president of Balagny, a small club in the Oise that plays in Regional 3, Le Grae has tarnished the image of football as a whole. “What a dark image for football. I can’t understand why he said that. What’s the point of saying such things? I’m shocked by so many mistakes. All he has to do is leave in style. If not, he either went mad or passed out. »

For his part, Francis Martin, treasurer of the Salesian Society of Paris, resident of the 3rd region of the League of Paris-Ile-de-France, believes that the spring is broken. Finally. “This applies not only to professional football, we are also concerned about grassroots football. It might be time to move on. Because, unfortunately, this isn’t the first time he’s screwed up like this. »

Deschamps extension questioned

For some, the choice of Noel Le Grand should also be questioned, including after his departure. “I don’t think it’s normal that the President of the FFF, on his own initiative, decides to extend the contract of Didier Deschamps for four years,” said Samir Salah. We cannot make such important decisions without consulting the executive committee. It’s minimum. This creates an image of a person who is no longer aware of what he is doing. He is omnipotent. And this is no longer possible. »

Often, in solidarity with their president, amateur football loses him, so this time for good. “There were these remarks about racism, about homophobia, about Qatar,” continues Segonds. Every time it passed, but when attacking Zidane, he made too many mistakes. I have a feeling things only took this turn because Mbappe reacted with his tweet. No one will know what would have happened if Mbappé had not tweeted on Sunday. In this we can thank Mbappe. Perhaps thanks to him we can move on. »

Not to mention matters of morals, in an audit conducted by the Ministry of Sports. “It’s very strange that it took Zidane too much slippage for everything to surface today,” Francis Martin said. Obviously, the presumption of innocence must be respected. But those elements that have been revealed in the press are already quite serious. Noel Le Graet should have backed off from the beginning of the novel. »

“The feeling that you are at the court of Louis XIV”

In the midst of a crisis, amateur football sees an opportunity to rebuild on new bases. “With Noel Le Grae, it’s like being at the court of Louis XIV,” Philippe Segonds lights up. And this is no longer possible. To be the president of such an important federation as football means to be impeccable. His successor will have to completely abandon the mode of operation, which is no longer possible today. »

“Football is crazy, and so is power,” says Francis Martin. Around me, we can’t stop talking about all these cases that are poisoning football. We need to return to simpler and more respectful values. It is important to restore the image of football, especially among the younger generation, to whom we must set an example. If football does not make its revolution, it may be in danger…”