Connect with us

Sports

Noel Le Graet, head of the French Football Federation, resigns after an investigation into sexual harassment

Published

on

noel-le-graet,-head-of-the-french-football-federation,-resigns-after-an-investigation-into-sexual-harassment

Noel Le Graet, the head of the French Football Federation, resigns after an investigation into sexual harassment.

Comments are available for all users Comment

Noel Le Graet, the head of the French Football Federation (FFF), attends a Paris press conference in 2016.

Noel Le Graet, the head of the French Football Federation (FFF), attends a Paris press conference in 2016. Copyright Photo by AP/Christophe Ena

By: AP

Noel Le Graet, the president of the French Football Federation, resigned on Tuesday after a government-led audit determined that he was no longer qualified to lead due to his behavior toward women and management style.

Le Graet, 81, is being investigated by the court for alleged sexual harassment and moral harassment. He had already stepped down from his duties while the executive committee of the federation reviewed the audit findings.

According to a statement by the federation, he submitted his resignation during a meeting of the executive committee on Tuesday.

The statement said that Le Graet will be replaced by Philippe Diallo, vice president of the company, on an interim basis. This will last until June 2023.

Amelie Oudea-Castera, the French Minister of Sports, ordered an audit in September last year after Le Graet was criticized heavily.

The final report, based upon more than 100 interviews, and the analysis of different documents, concluded that Le Graet acted inappropriately towards women, and also highlighted other dysfunctions within the federation. It also noted that the federation’s policy against gender-based violence and sexual assault is “neither efficient nor effective.”

The federation praised Le Graet for his “remarkable sports and economic results” since he became the head of the soccer organization in 2011. It reiterated that it was “strongly committed against gender-based violence and sexual assault” and tried to distance itself from this audit.

Le Graet had a good relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and he will still continue to work at the FIFA office in Paris despite his resignation.

Infantino appointed Le Graet as his personal delegate in January 2022 to FIFA’s Paris satellite office, which includes liaising and member federations from Europe and Africa.

Infantino, who announced the appointment last year, said that the French Football Federation was doing a remarkable work. “I often have the chance to speak with Noel Le Graet in order to better understand how this example can be used to support football development projects around the world.”

Le Graet also wants to keep his EUR235,000 per year seat on the FIFA ruling council, which is chosen by UEFA members.

Le Graet, despite the controversy surrounding France’s soccer body, has not publicly withdrawn from his candidacy for a vote on 5 April at the UEFA Congress, Lisbon, Portugal. Fernando Gomes is his scheduled opponent, a UEFA Vice President from Portugal.

Author

Continue Reading

Sports

Roland Garros qualifiers: Napolitano and Giant ok, Fognini out

Published

on

roland-garros-qualifiers:-napolitano-and-giant-ok,-fognini-out

Positive results for the Blue tennis on the first day of qualifying at Roland Garros. Stefano Napolitano and Matteo Gigante, in fact, qualified for the second round of the qualifying draw, while Fabio Fognini was eliminated.

Napolitano, who dropped in the ATP rankings to position number 603, surprisingly overcame the U.S. Colton Smith, world number 162, in three sets with a final score of 6-4 4-6 6-2 after two hours and twenty minutes of play.

A three-set victory also for Gigante, ATP ranking number 167, who beat Swiss Jerome Kym, world number 123, with a final score of 6-3 3-6 6-3 after two hours of play.

Nothing to do, however, for Fognini. The Ligurian tennis player, seventh seed in the seeding, lost decisively to American Nicolas Moreno De Alboran, who prevailed in two sets with a final score of 6-3 6-2 after an hour and 23 minutes of play.

Author

Continue Reading

Sports

A fairytale Monday for Lorenzo Musetti

Published

on

a-fairytale-monday-for-lorenzo-musetti

It is a fairytale Monday for Lorenzo Musetti. After celebrating his personal best ranking in the morning, hoisting himself to number eight in the world rankings, the Carrara-based tennis player announced the’arrival of his second child.

Through a post shared on Instagram with partner Veronica Confalonieri, the azure revealed that he will become a father again. “The family expands” wrote the couple under a photo showing little Ludovico, their firstborn, and Musetti touching his mother’s belly.

There was no shortage of reactions from her colleagues and former ones: from the hearts of Flavio Cobolli, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani to the good wishes of Flavia Pennetta and Tathiana Garbin.

After his excellent results in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, the new world number eight has decided to withdraw from the Hamburg tournament in order to better prepare for Roland Garros, which kicks off on Sunday, May 25, on the red clay of Paris.

Author

Continue Reading

Sports

Matteo Arnaldi recovers Gaston and hits the round of 16 in Geneva

Published

on

matteo-arnaldi-recovers-gaston-and-hits-the-round-of-16-in-geneva

Matteo Arnaldi is off to a good start at the Geneva ATP 250. After a surprising elimination in the first round at the Internazionali d’Italia, the tennist from Liguria redeemed himself in his debut at the ‘Gonet Geneva Open’, defeating Hugo Gaston, world number 74, in a comeback.

The Blue won with a final score of 6-7 6-4 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours of struggle. In the first set it was the serve that dominated. The’only one to concede break points – two – was Gaston but the Frenchman saved himself and made the tie-break his own (8-6).

With the momentum in his favor, Gaston pulled ahead by a break in the second set, taking the serve away from Arnaldi in the sixth game (2-4). Here, however, came the Sanremese’s angry reaction, stringing together a run of four consecutive games (6-4), putting everything back on an even keel.

In the third and decisive set Arnaldi immediately escaped to 2-0 but was taken back by the transalpine (2-2). After another exchange of breaks, the’decisive stretch was signed by the Azure at 4-4, winning the last two games (6-4) and thus reaching the round of 16.

Author

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2023 EuroTimes