after the accusations of “moral and sexual harassment” of a former referee, the FFF launches an internal investigation

There French Football Federation announced, Thursday, June 8, to initiate an internal investigationnear the accusations of “moral and sexual harassment” issued by Nicolas Pottier, former referee. Currently in charge of amateur refereeing for the FFF, the president of the district of Mayenne pointed the finger, in an interview with the magazine SoFootthe operation of the arbitration of French football, between cronyism, “positive discrimination” and taboos on homosexuality.

“The FFF immediately, as an employer, carries out an internal investigation entrusted to a specialized external firm, Alcens”, the body said in a statement. The French Football Federation has also announced the upcoming designation “a qualified and independent personality to lead an analysis mission (…) of the federal policy of arbitration, in order to reinforce, if necessary, its effectiveness”.

“An opaque, perverse and outdated system”

Nicolas Pottier explains that he filed a complaint on February 14, 2023, for “sexual and moral harassment in the private and professional context”and also for “rape against X” for facts dating back to May 2009 following a meeting he refereed. He says to himself “victim of a conspiracy”, affirming in particular having paid professionally for assuming his homosexuality, and pins a “opaque, perverse and outdated system”.

In recent months, the Federation has been the subject of an audit report commissioned by the Ministry of Sports, which notably considered that the federal policy for the fight against gender-based and sexual violence lacked “effectiveness and efficiency”.