On Thursday, a meeting was held at the French Football Federation (FFF), during which Philippe Diallo, interim president, addressed the employees. Diallo announced the opening of recruitment for a new director general both internally and externally, just two days after the resignation of former president Noël Le Graët, who had been embroiled in controversies and allegations of both moral and sexual harassment.
RMC Sport obtained a copy of Diallo’s speech, which appeared to resemble a campaign platform, as he emphasized his desire to restore the image of the FFF.
“I am here in front of you to explain directly and establish a connection with you so that, beyond the media, you can have a direct voice on how this house is currently being run. On February 28, we had an executive committee, which was widely covered by the press, it is the counterpart of our popularity… The first decision of this Comex was the resignation of President Le Graët after 12 years at the head of the FFF.”
Diallo also expressed his wish for a more collaborative governance structure, saying, “We must now think about the future, and I would like to talk about governance. The Comex members will look to propose a new governance system that will be more collegial, more inclusive, and more participatory, with a clear distribution of powers, and we will ensure that we have a diversity of profiles and skills among our leadership team.”
Diallo’s speech suggests that the FFF is looking to move forward from the recent controversies, in what also looked like a pitch for a more long-term form of governance for the former deputy – as he looks to retain his intermediary position for the long term at the highest level of French football.
GFFN | George Boxall
