“The players are in a hurry to go home. There is no descent from the Champs-Elysées, and the departure of the players is scheduled after landing,” said the president of the French Football Federation on Monday morning.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
The French Football Federation (FFF) and its president, Noël Le Graët, contradict each other. Contrary to what the latter had announced during the morning on Monday, December 19, a gathering of the French team players in Paris must be organized in the aftermath of the defeat of the Blues against Argentina during the final of The World Cup in Qatar, according to a message transmitted by the FFF to journalists and relayed by the France-Presse agency (AFP).
“The Blues return today to France by the AF 4001 flight which will take off from Doha around 2:30 p.m. local time, and arrive around 7:30 p.m. French time at [Roissy – Charles- airport- de-Gaulle]. They will then salute their audience at Place de la Concorde, in Paris, around 8:30 pm “, had also confirmed the Federation to the Parisian, earlier during the day. Questioned by AFP, the police prefecture could not confirm this information.
Monday morning, Noël Le Graët had nevertheless canceled, at the microphone of BFM-TV, a possible gathering. “The players are in a hurry to go home. There is no descent from the Champs-Elysées, and the departure of the players is scheduled after landing,” he said. “When you don’t win, you don’t have the mood, in any case, the mood to go for a walk on the fields or elsewhere, added the manager. They have gone for more than a month and have Given satisfaction. They want to go home as soon as possible, “he added. 2>” They want to thank their supporters ”
This confusion in the communication of the bodies occurs after the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa -Castera, had affirmed in the morning of France Inter – with caution – that the Blues were probably going to greet, on the return of Doha, their supporters Place de la Concorde in Paris – as had been done in 2006 after the final of the World Cup lost against Italy, also on penalties (5-3).
“They want to thank their supporters, to spend this Place de la Concorde time, which is the place they have chosen a priori with the French Foot Federation […]. This is the latest info That I have, the scenarios are being confirmed […]. “They did not want parades on the fields, this is the info that we have at this stage. “
At 80 years old, Noël Le Graët, in post since 2011 and re -elected in 2021, had found himself in the heart of a turmoil since the revelations of the monthly so foot, who points to many dysfunctions within the FFF, and In particular the sending of sexual SMS to employees by the president, according to anonymous testimonies. Its place within the federation had been weakened.