French federation head apologizes after uproar over Zidane
France Football Federation President apologizes after blunt comments he made against Zinédine Zidane on RMC Radio talk show.
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French Football Federation Head Noël Le Graët attending a press conference in Paris, March 2, 2016 (AP)
The president of France’s football federation apologized Monday after Kylian Mbappé, the French sports minister, and Real Madrid all criticized him for brusque comments that he “couldn’t care less” about Zinédine Zidane’s future as a coach.
His comments were described by Noël Le Graët in a radio interview as “clumsy” and “absolutely don’t reflect my thinking nor my consideration for the player he was and the coach he has become.”
French media widely reported Le Graët’s apology.
Le Graët, who recently extended France coach Didier Deschamps’ contract until July 2026, was a guest on RMC radio’s talk show Sunday and was asked about rumors linking Zidane to Brazil’s national team.
“I’d be surprised if he went there. But he can do what he likes, it doesn’t concern me. I’ve never met with him (Zidane), and we (the FFF) never considered parting ways with Didier,” Le Graët told RMC.
Asked about whether he’d be upset to see Zidane coach Brazil, he answered, "I couldn’t care less. He can go where he likes."
Another question was about whether Zidane has recently called him.
"Certainly not, I wouldn’t even have picked up the phone," he said.
Mbappé wrote a message on his Twitter account late Sunday, without mentioning Le Graët by name, saying: "Zidane is France, you don’t disrespect a legend like that."
Zidane c’est la France, on manque pas de respect à la légende comme ça… 🤦🏽♂️
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) January 8, 2023
France sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra went a step further, asking Le Graët to apologize to Zidane for his "shameful lack of respect."
"A 'president' of the top sporting federation in France should not say that. Apologies, please, for going too far on Zidane," she wrote.
Déclarations à nouveau hors sol avec en prime cette fois un manque de respect honteux, qui nous heurte tous, à une légende du foot et du sport : un "président" de la première fédération sportive de France ne devrait pas dire ça.
— Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (@AOC1978) January 8, 2023
Des excuses pour ce mot de trop sur Z.Zidane svp. https://t.co/FUdE76nBz0
Le Graët has faced sexual harassment claims, and the FFF is the target of an investigation that Oudéa-Castéra ordered.
The minister piled even more pressure on Le Graët by calling a news conference on Monday where she accused him of "damaging the image" of their country.
France’s players "deserve better," the minister said, urging the federation executive committee to step in, and citing French President Emmanuel Macron, saying he was "very disappointed" and "shocked, as we all were."
Real Madrid also spoke up, saying, "These remarks show a lack of respect for one of the most admired figures by football fans around the world and our club is awaiting an immediate correction."
Le Graët made his apology in a statement to French news agency Agence France-Presse that other French media then relayed. However, the federation press office refused to share the apology directly with The Associated Press.
Le Graët’s statement also sought to shirk some of the responsibility by shifting blame to RMC interviewers: "I gave an interview to RMC that I shouldn’t have given because it sought a polemic by opposing Didier against Zinédine Zidane, two monuments of French football. I admit that I made clumsy remarks which created a misunderstanding. Zinédine Zidane knows the immense respect I hold for him, like all French people."
