(Le Pecq) The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) apologized on Monday after Kylian Mbappé, France’s sports minister and Real Madrid bosses all took him to task for blunt comments according to which he ‘couldn’t care less’ about Zinedine Zidane’s future as a coach.
Noël Le Graët said his comments in a radio interview were “clumsy” and that they “do not reflect my thinking at all, nor my consideration for the player he was and the coach he has become”.
Le Graët’s apology was widely reported in the media in France.
Le Graët, who recently extended the contract of Didier Deschamps, coach of the French national team, until July 2026, was the guest of a program on the radio station RMC, Sunday, and he was questioned at the about the rumors linking Zidane to the Brazil national team.
“I would be surprised if he went there. But he does what he wants, that’s none of my business. I have never met him. We never considered parting with Didier,” Le Graët told RMC.
When asked if it would hurt his heart to see Zidane in charge of the Brazil team, Le Graët replied: “Zidane in Brazil? I have nothing to shake. He can go where he wants. »
PHOTO JAVIER SORIANO, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Zinedine Zidane
To another question, whether Zidane had called him recently, Le Graët replied: “Certainly not, I wouldn’t even have taken him on the phone”.
Without identifying Le Graët by name, Mbappé posted a message on Twitter late Sunday: “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect the legend like that…”.
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, France’s sports minister, went further, asking Le Graët to apologize to Zidane for a “shameful lack of respect”.
In a message on Twitter, Oudéa-Castéra barely concealed his disdain for Le Graët, using quotation marks when citing his position within the FFF.
“A “president” of the first sports federation in France should not say that. Apologies for this too much word about Z. Zidane please. »
Allegations of sexual harassment have been circulating about Le Graët and the FFF is currently the subject of an investigation commissioned by Oudéa-Castéra.
Real Madrid have also come to the defense of their former star player and head coach.
“Real regrets these unfortunate statements against one of the greatest legends of sport. It’s a lack of respect. »
Zidane led France to their first World Cup title in 1998, and shone again in 2000 when Les Bleus won the European Championship. He scored goals in two World Cup finals and was part of the losing side in one final.
Le Graët apologized in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse, which was then taken up by other French media.
Le Graët’s statement also sought to evade some blame by blaming RMC’s interviewers.
“I gave an interview to RMC that I should not have given, because he was looking for controversy by opposing Didier to Zinédine Zidane, two monuments of French football. I admit that I made some awkward remarks which created a misunderstanding. Zinédine Zidane knows the immense esteem I have for him, like all French people. »
Jérôme Pugmire in Paris collaborated on this text