The lists carried by Philippe Diallo and Pierre Samsonoff for the elections for the presidency of the French Football Federation (FFF) now validated with 10 sponsorships each, the campaign can officially begin. With differences between the two candidates.
“The leaver bonus seems so obvious that it should not be arrogant!” He is a regular at federal jokes who slipped this sentence on Saturday before the meeting of the college of presidents of Leagues and Districts. And we have the feeling that for this electoral campaign which is beginning, the work on the ground will be even more decisive than during the previous presidential elections in the FFF. And for several reasons. The outgoing Philippe Diallo was not elected president but designated successor to Noël Le Graët and then confirmed by the Federal Assembly. It's not the same exercise and he knows it very well.
This is the reason why he regionalized his list (reserves included) with four League presidents and five District presidents, while retaining a hard core from the old Comex with eight people. The new governance allows the spectrum to be broadened from 12 members to 21, plus the seven family representatives, and the law of March 22, 2022 requires parity. If names often make skills, field experience could play an important role.
It is for this reason that the “challenger” Pierre Samsonoff has put together a list of personalities recognized in the territories, each at their level and in specific sectors. The difference will be in the perception of the incumbent, who will be put to the vote for the first time, accompanied by a heavyweight in French football, Jean-Michel Aulas, facing a head of the list recognized by amateur football after his passage as director of the LFA until 2021. He will be accompanied by a district president in Tarn et Garonne as number 2, Jérôme Boscari, both of whom have an important network in the territories.
Leagues, districts and especially clubs hold the key
As usual the “pros” will have weight in the campaign, especially given their financial difficulties. It will certainly go to the highest bidder. But not only that… because with the new governance which offers enormous power to more than 12,000 clubs in France by giving them the right to vote this time. Even if it is only for the election of the president of the FFF, this opens up great campaign strategies for both candidates and perhaps more for Pierre Samsonoff than Philippe Diallo. Because it will be a real information battle that he will have to wage with the clubs concerned who, it seems, are not all aware that they have the right to vote. Whether it concerns District clubs, Leagues and especially those of the three national championships. A surprising lack of information.
The campaign will be very short. Barely three weeks to seduce everyone with a project that the two candidates will be able to detail to their potential voters now that the two lists have been validated. An election which could have seemed unbalanced from the simple announcement of the lists. Field work might make her more indecisive than expected.
France
