French football federation president Le Graet ‘taking a step’ back - FFF
The HinduFrench football federation president Noel Le Graet is ‘taking a step back’ from his duties and vice president Philippe Diallo was named acting interim chairman, the FFF said on Wednesday. “Noel Le Graet, in agreement with the FFF Executive Committee meeting in Paris today, has decided to take a step back from his duties as president of the federation until the audit commissioned by the Ministry of Sports has been definitively communicated, and pending its analysis by the FFF’s Executive Committee,” the FFF said in a statement following an urgent meeting of its executive committee. Le Graet, 81, has been accused of sexual harassment, which he has denied, and has also come under fire from players and politicians for criticising French football icon and 1998 World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane. Last September, the Sports ministry ordered an audit of the federation and FFF said it would file a defamation lawsuit against So Foot magazine, which reported that Le Graet allegedly harassed several female employees.