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Scandal-hit French football boss forced to step down

French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet has been forced to stand down just weeks after France's defeat in the World Cup final following a series of controversies, the body said on Wednesday.

Scandal-hit French football boss forced to step down
French Football Federation (FFF) President Noel Le Graet walks at the FFF headquarters after attending a hearing as part of a government audit of the federation in Paris, on January 10, 2023. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP)

The decision was taken following an emergency meeting of the FFF in Paris.

“Noel Le Graet, in agreement with the FFF executive committee gathered today in Paris, has chosen to step down from his role as president until the completion of the audit performed by the sports ministry,” the federation said.

Le Graet, whose mandate was due to run until 2024, had faced calls to resign after what he admitted were “clumsy remarks” about Zinedine Zidane’s potential interest in coaching the French national team.

The 81-year-old, who has been president of the FFF since 2011, had said in an interview with radio station RMC on Sunday that he “wouldn’t even have taken his call” when asked whether Zidane, a World Cup winner as a player and an all-time France great, had rung him to express an interest in taking over as coach from Didier Deschamps.

Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018 and oversaw their run to last month’s final which they lost on penalties to Argentina, last weekend signed a new contract to stay as France coach until 2026.

Speaking on Wednesday at an event in Nice, Deschamps admitted Le Graet’s comments about Zidane had been “inappropriate”.

The storm around Zidane followed a series of accusations of mistreatment by employees at the FFF, which led to the French government launching an audit of the federation and Le Graet being summoned to attend a hearing.

Le Graet denied those accusations, but on Tuesday his behaviour again came under the spotlight with a female football agent making further accusations of unwanted sexual advances by the veteran administrator in an interview with sports daily L’Equipe.

France’s sports minister, Amelie Oudea-Castera, had made clear that she wanted action taken against Le Graet when she called on the FFF’s executive committee to “take responsibility” when speaking to reporters on Monday.

With committee members taking the view that Le Graet’s position had become untenable, he has been replaced on an interim basis by Philippe Diallo, a vice-president of the organisation.

In addition the FFF’s director general, Florence Hardouin, has been suspended from her role.

Oudea-Castera welcomed the moves and told AFP that the president standing down was “a necessary step given what we know about his attitude”.

Le Graet is a former socialist mayor of the small Brittany town of Guingamp who later oversaw the rise of the local football team that became a top-flight force during his time as club president.

He is the second high-profile French sporting administrator to be forced to step down in recent weeks.

French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte said he would offer to resign last month after being handed a two-year suspended prison sentence on corruption charges.

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How to follow the Tour de France on French TV (and why you might want to)

The Tour de France is starting earlier than usual this year - here's how to follow the race on TV, and why the coverage is of interest even if you're not a cycling fan.

How to follow the Tour de France on French TV (and why you might want to)

For the first time since the Tour de France began in 1903, it will not finish in or near Paris, but instead in Nice, in order to accommodate the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

The event will also start earlier than usual, with the grand départ scheduled for June 29th. Cyclists will cross the finish line on July 21st.

This 2024 race will begin in Florence, Italy.

According to the race website, there “will be eight flat stages, as well as four hilly, seven mountain (with four summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), two time trials and two rest days.”

This year, participants will climb a total vertical gain of 52,230 meters, crossing a distance of 3,492 kilometres.

Credit: Tour de France official website

How can I watch the race?

If you are in France, then you can enjoy rolling coverage on the free-to-view TV channels of France 2 and France 3. 

It’s not just footage of men on bikes, the TV coverage is famed for its highlighting of the more unknown corners of France so it’s a great way to discover new places to visit. 

For those outside of France, you can go onto the official race website (HERE) to see a listing of all ‘live’ broadcasters in several different countries. 

As much of the race takes place during the day when many are working, you can enjoy recaps each evening at 8.45pm on France 3 via the ‘TLS Tour de France’ show. This looks back on the best moments of the day, giving a summary of that stage and the results, as well as reactions from teams and rider, plus analysis from experts. 

Later on, the Tour de France Femmes, scheduled for August 12th to 18th, will also be broadcast on the France Télévisions website. This is free to watch but you will first need to create an account on the site, you will need a 5-digit French postal code to make an account (eg 75004 if you’re in central Paris).

Why watch the Tour de France?

Each year between 10 and 12 million spectators watch the race widely considered to be the most famous and most difficult cycle challenge, according to Le Figaro.

The Tour de France route changes every year, so viewers not only witness the impressive athleticism of participants, but they also explore France’s different regions. The towns that stage the départs (start of each race day) usually put on a festival often incorporating local traditions, food and drink (for the spectators, not the cyclists).

This year, the Tour de France will go through beautiful landscapes in the Occitanie region, as well as the Alps and across central France.

The race has a fascinating history, and every now and again there are spectacular crashes which will keep you wincing.

There is also a hit Netflix docu-series called ‘Tour de France: Unchained’ that may be a good place to start for the uninitiated.

French vocab

Le maillot jaune – yellow jersey (worn by the winner)

Le grand départ – the race start

Le départ – the start of each stage 

Le peloton – the group of cyclises (literally translated as ‘the pack’)

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