The audit and control mission of the Ministry of Sports is following its course, the FFF is seeing a pile of new testimonies from women who denounce “harassment” and “brutal management”.
The worries are linked for French football. In addition to the Pogba affair, the repeated injuries a few weeks before the World Cup, or the management of the Mbappé case, the French football federation is going through dark times. Placed under audit mission by the Minister of Sports, the FFF continues to see setbacks multiply. A Franceinfo investigation, published this Wednesday morning, provides new evidence of ” harassment » from Noël Le Graët, president of the federation and « brutal management by Florence Hardouin, General Manager.
According to Franceinfo, the witnesses questioned are unanimous: “ it’s not the PPDA affair, but it’s not because it’s less serious that we shouldn’t talk about it. ” Thus, the first witness describes the president as a ” clumsy ” with ” repeated invitations to come and dine with him “. The second confirms with its own story. ” In 2016, I had to leave with President Le Graët on an official trip. He tells me that I have to put on a skirt on the day of the trip. Obviously I refuse, I put on pants. On the plane, I’m next to him, he puts his hand on my thigh. I pushed him away saying ‘president, we’re not going to start the ride like this‘. »
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Florence Hardouin in the viewfinder
Among all these accusations, Noël Le Graët is not the only one targeted. Many testimonies also incriminate the general manager, Florence Hardouin. ” Florence Hardouin was aware of the behavior of the president. She asked me to tell her. I thought she was going to protect me. In fact no, she buried everything testifies the second quoted above. Another former employee of the FFF specifies: Florence Hardouin’s divisive governance posed the biggest problem for me. Either we are with her or we are against her. »
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Word against word
Asked about this, Noël Le Graët denied in a press release: “I strongly contest the alleged ‘inappropriate’ behavior towards employees within the FFF. I have always maintained respectful relationships with my colleagues in an atmosphere of mutual trust. These false and malicious anonymous allegations are clearly intended to harm me professionally and personally.»
Florence Hardouin’s turn to respond in a press release: ” I categorically deny the false allegations that are reported to you against me. In general, I will not answer any questions from journalists since, as you know, an audit requested by the Ministry of Sports is in progress.. »
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