The former Minister of Sports will ultimately not be judged by the Court of Justice of the Republic as initially planned.
Noël Le Graët withdrew his complaint for defamation against the former Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera who will therefore not be judged as planned by the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), announced Thursday to theAFP Thierry Marembert, lawyer for the former boss of French Football.
The former minister herself announced this withdrawal of complaint on X: “Noël Le Graët informed the CJR that he was withdrawing his defamation complaint against me. In the event of a trial, he would have had to return to the Court on the repeated discrepancies in language and behavior which had led him to resign from the French Football Federation», Wrote Ms. Oudéa-Castera on Thursday. “As at the time for his resignation, he makes a wise decision for himself and for the French Football Federation (FFF)», Launched the short-lived Minister of National Education, at the beginning of 2024.
Le Graët “intends to devote himself to his family and the world of football”
Requested by theAFPMe Marembert a «confirmed the withdrawal of the complaint, which dates from Tuesday». «Justice has ruled. Noël Le Graët explained himself at length, was believed and was exonerated“, he continued.
Mr. Le Graët benefited on October 17 from a classification by the Paris prosecutor's office for an insufficiently characterized offense, in the investigation into moral and sexual harassment opened 18 months earlier and which had precipitated the fall of the “menhir” of French football.
«The French do not need Noël Le Graët to form their opinion of +AOC+“, as the ex-minister is nicknamed, scathed Me Marembert. “No need to waste time.» Son client «intends to devote himself to his family and the world of football, his two great passions, to which he still has a lot to contribute“, he added.
As provided for by press law and except in special cases, this withdrawal of the complaint procedurally puts an end to the action initiated before the CJR, which should have earned Ms. Oudéa-Castera a trial on December 3 and 4.
After eleven years of reign, between sporting successes, economic recovery and epilogue in the media storm, Mr. Le Graët left the head of the FFF at the end of February 2023 under pressure. He had been weakened by clumsy statements about the icon Zinédine Zidane and especially by testimonies from women attributing inappropriate behavior to him, notably through “Text messages ambiguous for some and of a clearly sexual nature for others“. Accusations that Mr. Le Graët fiercely denied.
