Contacted by RMC Sport, Noël Le Graët, former president of the French Football Federation (FFF), is rather doubtful about the prospect of seeing Zinédine Zidane take over from Didier Deschamps on the bench of the France team in 2026.
Noël Le Graët is no longer president of the French Football Federation (FFF) since his forced resignation in February 2023. But the former boss of French football welcomed with a touch of nostalgia the announcement of Didier Deschamps' departure from his position of coach of the France team in 2026 in an interview given to RMC Sport this Wednesday. It was he who appointed the former Marseille coach to the Blues bench in 2012, then who extended him several times, including the last for four years in January 2023, a few days after the defeat in the 2022 World Cup final. against Argentina (3-3, 4 tab 2).
“I haven’t had any contact with him.”
Le Graët, however, refuses to comment on the identity of the successor to “DD”. “I don’t know, frankly, that’s a matter for the executive committee (of the FFF),” he says. “So much happens in two years. Who will be the starting players? What will be the form of the players? What will be the possible pattern of play based on the quality of the players who are now above the rest? So it's “It's too early to talk about it, it's the Comex that will decide.”
However, one name has come up repeatedly since Tuesday evening, that of Zinédine Zidane, acclaimed by the French to finally become coach of the Blues. “It’s not new, it’s not a scoop,” replies Le Graët, unmoved. Asked to give his opinion on this possible choice, the former leader did not display any further enthusiasm. “I don’t really know if he’s really interested, I haven’t had any contact with him,” he explains. “But it’s the job of those who are in place.”
Le Graët's slip on Zidane in 2023 accelerated his resignation
The former president of the FFF (2011-2023) is not very talkative about the possible candidacy for the 1998 Ballon d'or, who has never hidden his desire to one day take the reins of the Blues. His name came up insistently to replace Deschamps after the 2022 World Cup, before the latter extended. This craze for Zizou had also caused Noël Le Graët to slip up in the show Bartoli Time on RMC, on January 8, 2023. While Zidane's name was mentioned in Brazil after seeing the door of the French team close at this time, the president of the FFF at the time had fumed. “I don't care, he can go wherever he wants! He can go wherever he wants, in a club… selection, I hardly believe it as far as he is concerned.”
“If Zidane tried to contact me? Certainly not, I wouldn't even have picked him up on the phone. To tell him to look for another club? Make a special program for him to find a club or a selection”, he added, exasperated by the popular desire to see the former leader of the Blues appointed coach.
These comments caused a huge controversy in France and accelerated his forced resignation a few weeks later, also overwhelmed by accusations of harassment and an audit by the Ministry of Sports on the governance of the body. A few days after his departure, Le Graët made his mea culpa for his comments about Zidane. “It’s smart, I would slap myself,” he declared to L’Equipe. “I should never have said that. But I apologized right away.”
Nicolas Couet with Nicolas Pelletier
