The departure of Noël Le Graët confirmed, the French Football Federation opens a new chapter in its history under the interim presidency of Philippe Diallo.
After the resignation of Noël Le Graët from his post as president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Tuesday, February 28, the deputy vice-president, Philippe Diallo, takes over the interim presidency until the general assembly of the instance, on June 10, where he could be confirmed in this position until 2024. Shaken for several months by business, the FFF will now have to get back to work, with several priority projects.
Finding more democratic governance
In The TeamWednesday March 1, the former president of the Professional Football League, Frédéric Thiriez, spoke of the governance of the FFF “which is neither democratic nor transparent”. In detail, it is the electors, representatives of districts, regional leagues and presidents of professional clubs, who elect the president of the federation and its executive committee, composed solely of members of the winning list.
For Marie-George Buffet, former Minister of Sports, “there should be a representation according to the votes, as in the National Assembly, and not an executive committee only of the same color as the elected president”. Before detailing the benefits according to her: “It would be a way to have more confrontation of ideas and projects. I think that the federation needs to be taken in hand by volunteers and licensees, a democratic impetus.“
Amateur football wants to be heard
Be more involved in the decision-making processes of their federation? This is precisely what amateur clubs and their presidents expect. “We do not feel represented. The regional leagues complain that they are not listened to by the president, but they do not consult us either, when we are at the base”deplores Gilbert Guérin, president of the US Avranches (National). “I hope that, tomorrow, the presidents of amateur clubs will be able to vote, that they will become citizens of their sport”assures Eric Thomas, president of the French Amateur Football Association, on franceinfo.
“Why not organize meetings in all departments to listen to club leaders? After this complicated period, it could be a first initiative to give them a voice and gather their opinions.”
Marie-George Buffet, former Minister of Sportsat franceinfo: sport
“There are things to change, but it should also be noted that 104 million euros have been redistributed to amateur football this year, it’s a record. Compared to other federations and other countries, I think we can’t complain”, however nuance Gilbert Guérin. This did not prevent 5,000 amateur clubs from closing down under the mandate of Noël Le Graët. While some have been hit hard by the Covid crisis, others have merged to become more competitive. The Norman president, however, warns about the place of football for the entire population. “These mergers are the result of elitism, but football is not just about competition. You have to understand that it is also a mass sport, a hobby, where the less good must be able to play”he assures.
Women’s football remains to be developed
The construction site of women’s football is not left out. “The federation must move forward on a lot of subjects: infrastructure, stadiums, television broadcasting. Otherwise, we will quickly be overwhelmed, alerted Sonia Bompastor, coach of the Olympique Lyonnais women, in May 2022, in an interview with RMC.If we want the France team to go for a title, the international players must play competitive matches every weekend. There is an emergency, I am ringing the alarm bell.”
Like the former international, many players also regretted that France had not surfed on the dynamics of the organization of the World Cup in 2019, and that it is now falling behind in the professionalization of women’s football by compared to neighboring championships such as England or Spain.
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“Women’s football can be a source of dynamism for the FFF if it takes it head on, a bit like rugby did, with a lot of visibility for the French team, especially during the Tournament of six Given the echo that football has, if an effort were made on women, it would further broaden the audience and it would break the image of men’s and women’s sports “, assures Marie-George Buffet. One of the first hot files of the Comex of the FFF post-Le Graët will also concern the French women’s football team, with the maintenance or not of Corinne Deacon, maligned coach, on her bench, who will be decided on March 9.