18 months after leading to the fall of the “menhir” of French football, the investigation into moral and sexual harassment which targeted the former president of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graët, was dismissed by the courts on the 17th. last October for insufficiently serious offence.
“I welcome this decision which recognizes the integrity of my client. The in-depth criminal investigation was able to verify that none of the accusations which had been hastily brought against him held water“, reacted his lawyer Thierry Marembert, contacted by AFP.
In January 2023, an investigation was opened for moral and sexual harassment.
“It’s a great relief. There is still a little anger that remains deep inside me“, the ex-president told Le Monde. “I am not at the stage of forgiveness but I am happy to have come out of this affair with my head held high and to restore my honor a little”.
After 11 years of reign, between sporting successes, economic recovery and epilogue in the media storm, Noël Le Graët left the head of the FFF, weakened by clumsy declarations about the icon Zinédine Zidane and especially by testimonies from women attributing to him inappropriate behavior.
He resigned on February 28, 2023 under pressure. Two weeks earlier, an audit report established by the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research (IGESR) and commissioned by the Ministry of Sports had been revealed.
Read: “Le Graët no longer has the legitimacy necessary to administer and represent French football”
A summary made public by the executive set out “deviations in behavior (…) incompatible with the exercise of functions and the requirement of exemplarity attached to it“.
He also pointed out “inappropriate public positions“, “inappropriate behavior (…) towards women“particularly through”Ambiguous text messages for some and of a clearly sexual nature for others”. Accusations that Noël Le Graët fiercely denied.
In mid-January 2023, the Paris public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into moral and sexual harassment after a report from IGESR inspectors, entrusted to police officers from the Personal Crime Repression Brigade (BRDP).
Read: FOOTBALL. Noël Le Graët “will firmly defend his honor” according to his lawyers
“NLG”president of the League from 1991 to 2000 then of the FFF from 2011 to 2023, now aged 82, ended up handing over.
His replacement from February 2023, Philippe Diallo, then vice-president, was finally elected president on June 10 of the same year until 2024. He is standing for a four-year term in the election on December 11.
For her part, the former general director of the FFF, Florence Hardouin, heard during the investigation, initially filed a complaint against Noël Le Graët, but ultimately reached a settlement agreement with the FFF and committed not to become a civil party if a trial against the former president had taken place.
A few hours after his departure from the FFF, Maître Marembert announced a defamation complaint against Amélie Oudéa-Castera, then Minister of Sports, accusing him of having “save” on the IGESR report. He highlighted a difference between the summary of the document, published on February 15, 2023, and its entirety.
She will be tried for defamation by the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) on December 3 and 4.
