Harassment, assaults, blackmail …: the French Football Association has been targeted by several investigations

It is the first a magazine survey SoFoot who made the balls spin in early September revealing in particular SMS from the president of the French Football Association, Noël Le Graët.

The leader would have an annoying tendency to harass co-workers: “I prefer blondes, so if that tells you that”“ you’re terribly curvy, I’d put you in my bed “here are some examples of totally inappropriate messages in the professional context that he would send to female employees of the FFF.

Harassment and a deleterious atmosphere it would generate the departures of many of them.

Even after a 2021 sentence to compensate a former employee sexually harassed by her boss, the federation has not deigned to deal with the sexism that has plagued it for some time. Justice had ruled that the organization had failed “its obligation to combat acts of sexual harassment”.

Harassment, blackmail, sexual relations with minors: when the FFF looks away

A few days later, another media gave a layer of it: Josimar Football, a Norwegian site, in turn published an investigation into the internal actions of the FFF with the sober title “40 years of silence”. It’s signed by a French freelance journalist, Romain Molina, and highlights how the federation has covered allegations of abuse, blackmail and sexual harassment for decades.

An investigation into this a whole system rather than peoplethe investigative reporter insists, since some of the defendants have not been in office for a long time.

But the silence continues: “We ostriches and we will move the problem”sums up Romain Molina.

Complaints of sexual abuse, harassment and inappropriate behavior concern children in particular. The investigation recalls, for example, the case of a coach, Angélique Roujas, who was fired from the Clairefontaine center in 2013 for having had sex with underage players, charges that she disputes.

A woman testifies anonymously, claiming to have been a victim of Angélique Roujas: “I know what happened and I know how difficult it was to rebuild myself. Even today I can’t talk about it publicly because it’s painful and I’m not sure I’m supported. I spoke to senior officials within the federation, including Brigitte Henriques, the then vice president, but what happened? Anything. They didn’t do anything. ”

Several witnesses deplore the lack of responsiveness of the FFF to protect the center players. The case of another coach is also at the center of the investigation. David San José was fired by Clairefontaine in 2020 for inappropriate behavior towards a teenager.

A new case of sexual blackmail, and again the disastrous management of the FFF

In a new part of his investigation published on September 21, Romain Molina unveils the sexual blackmail to which a former head of the referees commission of the Paris Ile-de-France championship, Daniel Galetti, would have dedicated himself. He was relieved of his duties in July 2022.

One of his victims testifies:

“He carefully chose the referees he could attract into his game. If we took the bait, he started giving gifts.” When you are a referee, you want to whistle great games. And for that, you need good grades. Galletti could give us good grades and advice to level up. But he was under certain conditions. “

As in other similar cases, the FFF handled the case internally and did not file a complaint with the Public Prosecutoras however it is obliged to do under article 40 of the criminal code.

A few months after an already tense World Cup in Qatar, these polls show the mighty FFF in a very somber light. What consequences will these revelations have for you? Following the investigation by SoFootannounced that she sued for defamation. Noël Le Graët and Florence Hardouin, director general of the organization, have been called up by the Minister of Sport Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. An audit and control mission must be initiated internally.