He has no taboos with Qatar, which is organizing the next Football World Cup, from November 20 to December 18, 2022, and which many associations have called for a boycott. The president of the FFF, Noël Le Graët was questioned this week by the journalists of Further investigation, a special issue of which aired on October 13. And the boss of French football, who answered on the social dimension, surprised by his answers.
“It’s not insoluble, it’s a lick of paint”
He first explained to the reporter: “I’m thinking about football, if it’s all anti-Qatar, that bothers me a little, because of course I agree with everything you say, that there is immense progress to be made. But if there is hadn’t had football, forgive me, it would have been worse, much worse”. Regarding its employees, who have already been to Doha, Noël Le Graët assures us that they “don’t come back crying”. And to add:on the hotels which are very beautiful hotels, I do not see what we can say that is negative”.
And the journalist shows him a video shot precisely in the hotel where Noël Le Graët stayed (Al Messila), showing the deplorable living conditions of the subcontractors who work there. In particular, he filmed the place where the security guards live – a dilapidated bathroom, dirty Turkish toilets, stoves for eating and small bedrooms with several bunk beds.
To this, Noël Le Graët said: “We have to discuss it with the director, we can send him these images, it’s not insoluble, it’s a coat of paint. There’s still time to fix it, it’s an image that you show with two gas stoves which may need to be changed“.
>> See also: Kylian Mbappé’s laughter and “indifference” anger Raphaël Glucksmann: Léa Salamé’s guy settles accounts with football
While the journalist insisted on the indecency of these installations, the president hardened his tone: “I can show you lots of images like that in lots of countries, even maybe not very far from here. For me, it would be easy to say yes to everything you say, you would say Le Graët he’s a great guy”.
The president of the FFF has taken radical decisions
In permanent contact with Qatar, the boss finally found this problematic file… He ordered an investigation and took radical decisions. “These new checks have already made it possible to dismiss the security company after having found that it was engaged in numerous unacceptable irregularities. Failure to respect decent housing conditions, retention of passports, failure to respect rest days. A specific mission from the FFF will go to Doha in mid-October to check on site that all the 6 service providers respect the social rights in force.“. Mission accomplished ?
Confronted with our images, the president of the FFF, Noël Le Graët did not seem to take the measure of the problem. “It’s not insoluble, that. It’s a lick of paint. he said. Now on @France2tvpic.twitter.com/y1bKqKefKw
— Further investigation (@Cdenquete) October 13, 2022
AF