A 1998 World champion comes out of the woodwork. In the program 100% Stade Lavallois this Wednesday on France Bleu Mayenne, the former defender passed by Laval (1988-1990) regretted the heavy climate and the business which accumulates at the French Football Federation. Some involving its president Noël Le Graët.
The magazine SoFoot published a long investigation in which he recounts alleged cases of sexual harassment and major dysfunctions within the first sports federation in France (two million licensees). A sadly unprecedented situation for French football two months before the very controversial 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“It’s appalling… It’s appalling to see all that’s going on and the layers of problems the Federation is going to have to deal with. It’s been a while since I thought that Noël Le Graët should leave. But hey, that’s my opinion, it’s not worth much. But like most people I think at some point it has to stop“, explains the former 1998 World Champion.
“It’s rather when we are, like the rooster, with our feet in shit that we come out the best!”
At the sporting level, the Blues of Didier Deschamps accumulate injuries and the controversy around the image rights of the players this week does not help matters. Despite everything, Frank Leboeuf wants to be optimistic. “When everything is going well in the France team, normally we crash (laughs). We were the so-called best in 2002, and we saw what happened. So we’re going to stay positive. It is rather when we are, like the rooster, with our feet in shit that we come out the best! That’s really France, it’s a bit like our Italian friends. It’s when things go wrong that they’re the best. We too tend to rest on our laurels. Impossible not being French, I will give a great chance to France to be world champion once again”, declares the former Stade Lavallois player.