New accusations of sexual abuse at the French Football Federation – Liberation

They weren’t there for “have some tea”. The Ministry of Sports decided on Friday to initiate an audit and control mission within the French Football Federation (FFF) after the publication by the magazine So Foot of an investigation pointing out numerous dysfunctions within the FFF. The magazine’s investigation, published on September 8, mentioned in particular, on the strength of anonymous testimonies, the sending of sexual SMS to employees of the FFF by President Noël Le Graët. The ministry’s decision came after an interview on Friday at the ministry’s headquarters between the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera and Noël Le Graët, in the presence of the general manager of the FFF Florence Hardouin.

“The Minister told them that she was going to initiate a mission from the General Inspectorate for Education, Sport and Research (IGESR) to audit and control the management of the Federation and compliance with the obligations that are attached to it”, the sports ministry said in a statement. Clue to the atmosphere that must have reigned during this meeting, the Minister of Sports had declared the day before at the Parisian that she did not receive the representatives of the FFF “to have tea”, “I don’t receive them to be told that everything is fine. I receive them because I need to listen to what they have to say to me”.

Women “sexually harassed, but also morally”

“Noël Le Graët has undertaken to transmit to this mission, in the most complete transparency, all the reports produced in the recent period on the FFF and in particular those relating to its governance and its management”the ministry added. “The Minister recalled that it was imperative that the FFF continue its activities with absolute respect for all employees, regardless of their hierarchical level, and by actively monitoring the prevention and fight against all forms of discrimination and of violence, in particular sexist and sexual”according to the press release.

Last week, the management but also the personality of Noël Le Graët (80), who arrived in 2011 at the head of the FFF and re-elected in 2021 for a new term, had been heavily criticized in the article of the monthly So Foot, who had mentioned, on the basis of anonymous testimonies, the sending by Le Graët of SMS of a sexual nature to employees of the FFF.

According to a source interviewed by So Foot, several women have reportedly resigned from the body in recent years because they felt “sexually harassed, but also morally”. The Federation reacted Thursday, after the meeting of its executive committee, by announcing the filing of a complaint in defamation against the magazine So Foot because of seriously defamatory imputations” of the item.

Sordid new revelations

In addition, new revelations about the FFF are made this Friday by the media Josimar, written by independent journalist Romain Molina. This ensures that, for years, Noël Le Graët, and other senior officials of the Federation have concealed multiple cases of sexual abuse, including abuse of underage players.

According to this investigation, several cases of sexual abuse, blackmail and harassment have involved coaches, scouts, agents and executives of the elite of French football. Angelique Roujas, in particular, former French international (51 selections) and ex-coach responsible for the women’s section of the Clairefontaine training center, was dismissed nine years ago by the FFF because of sexual relations with underage players. The Federation would have seized the judicial authorities only once, under pressure from the stars of the time.

“When something happens, you shut your mouth, thus testifies a former member of the board of directors of the FFF to Josimar. This is how it works. They are too powerful. As soon as you talk about abuse, you’re out of the game.”, he adds. According to this witness, the Professional Football League and the clubs are equally at fault. “It’s not just the FFF but also the LFP, the clubs. I mean, have you seen how many cases we’ve had in the last two years? What have we done to protect our children?

Updated at 2:30 p.m. with media revelations Josimar.