“I lived through a nightmare, but the fact of being exonerated in this case makes me feel good, even if I have a feeling of anger and relief. » Noël Le Graët savors what he considers a victory. On a legal level, he feels legitimately triumphant, after the end of the procedure against him for moral and sexual harassment, « no offense appears sufficiently serious ». He may even emerge as the big winner. First before the administrative court of Paris since its counsel requested the annulment of the report of the general inspection of the Ministry of Sports « for violation of the principle of impartiality and independence through political interference ». A decision by the judges to this effect would erase the side “ internal » of the case. More broadly, it would constitute a weakening of the power of regulation and control of the State over the federations and a sacred jurisprudence of impunity for the presidents who are being elected there at the moment.
I was not always very friendly to Oudéa-Castéra, who did not behave like a minister. I told him bluntly.
Then, the former Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra will defend herself on December 3 and 4 before the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) for defamation. The latter still appears today, in the eyes of the former socialist mayor of Guingamp, as the villainous instigator behind his misfortunes, sometimes in collusion with Florence Hardouin. The man maintained the feeling, by dint of chaining mandates, of surviving all governments. « It all started from Qatar, where things weren't great with Madam Minister, I don't know if she deserves me to call her like thathe tackles in The Team. I was not always very friendly to Oudéa-Castéra, who did not behave like a minister. I told him bluntly. » From now on, he takes stock of his personal case and laughs at his quick transition to national education, proof that it was only a casting error. He had only underestimated the proximity of the former CEO of the FFT with the President of the Republic when he complained about her attitude to Jupiter.
The boss distributes the bad points
Noël Le Graët can hardly digest the lack of recognition from a small world which, according to him, owes him everything. Starting with those who released it, amid applause despite everything, at the board of directors of the FFF, and of course the former general director Florence Hardouin: « She betrayed me several times. I was angry with her well before Qatar because she told the young executives of the FFF that I was no longer in the game, but I had forgiven. I trained her completely. This is a huge disappointment… »
He still continues to position himself as a kingmaker, tackling his successor Philippe Diallo who would operate in the shadow of a true guardian. « I don't see Aulas number 2 from Diallo. Maybe they'll change order… » A second knife moved up in rank following its fall and therefore also guilty of lèse-majesté: « He is fired from the UCPF union, ex-Foot Unis, I have a free place, I tell myself that he knows football and appoints him treasurer. With the departure of Brigitte Henriques from the CNOSF, I promoted him to vice-president. I would have been better off naming another woman. » He does not hide his preference in the upcoming election, for the list of his friend Pierre Samsonoff: « I will support him. He will make a good list, he knows amateur football well. He is serious, intelligent and cultured, he is not an eccentric. »
In short, Noël Le Graët continues to summarize his departure, certainly largely the result of a context and the abandonment of certain formerly blind supports, to a court adventure between the ministry and the governing circles of the federation. By contenting himself with placing himself solely on the legal ground, he ignores certain crises which had also put him in the hot seat. For example, his interview with RMC where he virtually sent Zinédine Zidane away, which led to a vengeful tweet and for the murderous blow of Kylian Mbappé (his response on this subject appearing in the first version of the interview published by the daily this Sunday evening, but it was no longer there this Monday morning, Editor's note). Not to mention his contemptuous remarks, to say the least, during a program devoted to the fate of workers working on construction sites in Qatar. At least his comrade Gianni Infantino didn't give up on him and found something to keep him busy at FIFA.
Finally, let us not forget his hearing at the National Assembly before the commission of inquiry into the failures of sports federations where this great all-powerful leader admitted to being ignorant of the social plan, put in place in 2021 by Florence Hardouin, since he doesn't « s’occupai[t] not directly from the staff (…) There were too many people at one point at the FFF. I regret certain departures. » The FFF, one of the richest federations in France, was then one of the only ones to take advantage of Covid-19 to downsize, despite state aid and its reserves. In the end, by what is said and above all who is kept silent, the interview with the former boss of the EAG tells a lot about this famous governance of sport that everyone criticizes, but which is unlikely to change so early.
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