what the final audit report on Noël Le Graët reveals

After four and a half months of work, the General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research (IGESR) has finally finalized its final audit report on the French Football Federation. And the summary, to which franceinfo had access at the end of the afternoon, Wednesday February 15, is final: it evokes a “failing federal governance” and one “low weight of moral authorities” within the FFF. We summarize for you what to remember from this document which particularly pinpoints Noël Le Graët and its general manager Florence Hardouin.

The hearings confirm the “inappropriate behavior” of the president of the FFF

Unsurprisingly, thea summary, which is five pages long, particularly charges the president of the French Football Federation, already targeted since mid-January by a preliminary investigation for “sexual and moral harassment”. The inspectors mention in the final version of the document a leader “whose behavioral excesses are incompatible with the exercise of their functions and the requirement of exemplarity which is attached to it”.

The 114 hearings conducted thus “shed light on inappropriate behavior” of the old socialist mayor of Guingamp “against women”. The report confirms the existence of SMS “ambiguous for some and clearly sexual in nature for others”. He also points “the late schedule of the mailings, their repetitive nature and the nature of the recipients – women placed under his authority and/or in a relationship of dependency”.

That’s not all : “The hearings conducted by the mission have shown that the inappropriate and insulting nature of Mr. Le Graët’s remarks can be accentuated by excessive alcohol consumption.”

Noël le Graët “no longer has the necessary legitimacy” to exercise his functions

As already mentioned in the provisional version which had leaked at the end of January, the audit carried outpoints out that Noël Le Graët “no longer has the necessary legitimacy to administer and represent French football”.

“The behavioral excesses of Mr. Le Graët are now detrimental to the image of the FFF and invites the federal authorities to examine this situation in application of the statutory provisions.”

The General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research

in its final report

Exactly what he said in his own way Amelie Oudea-Castera. During a press conference organized in the wake of the publication of the report, the Minister of Sports estimated that “the status quo [était] impossible” concerning Noël Le Graët and that he no longer had “the legitimacy necessary to administer and represent” tricolor football. The one who has chaired the FFF since 2011 “is a man of decision. I hope he takes the right ones for the Federation, but also for himself. Other ways exist if he doesn’t.”she warned.

The report also points to the “brutal methods” of Florence Hardouin

Laid off as a precaution since January 11 and under the threat of dismissal for “serious misconduct”, Florence Hardouin is not spared by the inspectors either. The IGERS believes that “brutal methods and behavior deemed erratic” of the general manager “no longer allow him to exercise recognized authority”.

The inspection mission “Notes, however, that the Director General considers that she has suffered from the inappropriate behavior of Mr. Le Graët, from whom she says she fears reprisals in the event of direct opposition”.

“Their operational proximity has thus turned into a toxic relationship.”

The General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research

in its final report

As for Noël Le Graët, the IGESR “considered” than Florence Hardouin “is no longer able to carry out his duties within the federation, in particular because of his difficulty in installing management at a good distance from elected officials on the one hand and employees on the other”.