It is from Guingamp, his stronghold, that Noël Le Graët agreed to receive us to launch his campaign for the election to the presidency of the French Football Federation (March 13).
From his office located on the 3rd floor of his agri-food business, we overlook the river Le Trieux and we can see the Roudourou stadium in the distance.
But the 79-year-old patriarch does not have time to think about the difficulties his club is going through barrage in Ligue 2, focused that he is on the quest for a fourth term at the head of the FFF.
You linked your candidacy to your state of fitness.
How do you feel ?
NOËL LE GRAËT.
I was sick for a while
(Editor's note: he had lymphoid leukemia)
, now I'm completely healed.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have pictured myself.
You cannot be both in care and in the federation at the same time.
At 79, you could say that you find it hard to turn your back on power ...
You can say what you want but I consider that I have enough experience for difficult times.
After, the age, everyone will judge.
I know 40-year-olds that I don't feel like having lunch with.
I am in good shape.
I have no complex.
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What conclusions do you draw from your presidency of the federation after ten years in office?
It's been ten years already… The French team went to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup, then to the final of Euro 2016 and they won the 2018 World Cup. Our Hopes team qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time. since 1996. Our daughters are third in the world in the Fifa rankings.
At the sporting level, the results are indisputable.
Economically, the result is positive.
The budget has never been so high
(Editor's note: 256 million euros)
.
We have never given so much to amateur football, contrary to what some may say.
Is it true that your intention is to only serve a half term to make way for Marc Keller, the current president of Strasbourg?
That's one of the possibilities, but when you run, it's for four years.
And I want to do the four years.
You also know that the president must be independent.
If you tell me about Marc, who has a very positive image, he would have to sell Strasbourg.
It's easy to say but not easy to do in today's environment.
Jamel Sandjak, a former opponent, joined you.
It's a nice catch considering the importance of the Paris-Ile de France league that he chairs, isn't it?
We have meetings with the presidents of the leagues every Tuesday.
He surprised me.
He is intelligent in his analyzes and his proposals.
I told myself that the federation couldn't continue to be angry with Paris.
I went to see him, I invited him to lunch.
I discovered it.
It is important to listen to amateur football.
If elected, he will keep his league and play an important role in the development of amateur football.
How much do you estimate the losses for the FFF due to the pandemic?
We have to rebuild our budgets.
We played a dozen matches for the France team without a recipe.
It's around 2 million euros per game, so the shortfall is around 20 million euros.
But this situation cannot last long.
We are keen to replay football normally from September.
On the other hand, we managed to save some money by postponing certain works at Clairefontaine.
There is also less travel by youth teams.
And no sponsor has let us go.
All current commitments are kept.
Finally, for amateurs, we keep our commitments to the nearest cent.
At the end of June, no amateur club will be penalized.
"We are between 1.8 million and 1.9 million licensees, a drop of 9%", indicates Noël Le Graët. / LP / Arnaud Journois
What are the axes of your program?
The current period is tough.
If we could all say that, at the end of June, the virus will have left us alone, then we will be in a period of reconquest of licensees for the coming season.
All sports lose a lot of children.
We are between 1.8 million and 1.9 million licensees, a drop of 9%.
Youth championships no longer exist, even UEFA has done away with the Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 national teams.
A whole generation of young people ranging from 16 to 20 years old does not have a license.
Among girls, the number of licenses has not fallen.
And in the adults, we did not lose anything since the championships had restarted.
We have lost children, but it is the case for all sports.
Do you consider Frédéric Thiriez as your main opponent in the race for the presidency of the federation?
Frédéric, I like him, we've known each other for a very long time, we've already been titillated.
He's a smart person.
If he is elected, I will ask him to apply his program ... if it is realistic.
But I don't want to read my opponents' programs morning, noon and night.
He is considering a move to 4 million licensees.
Is it conceivable or demagogic, in your opinion?
If he's elected, let him do it.
I'm not saying it's impossible, but he must have some ideas that I don't have.
But if I am elected, I will take his good ideas.
He accuses you of letting amateur football die and looking the other way.
He offers 40 million euros to redress amateur clubs and speaks of a loan guaranteed by the State.
Is it a credible solution?
I don't need to borrow.
Today, my team and I are keeping our commitments to the penny.
Amateurs have never had so much money
(Editor's note: 94 million euros and the 30 million euros solidarity plan announced last June)
, even if there is never enough.
Half of the federation's money goes to amateur football.
All your opponents accuse you of dropping amateur football.
We will see if the amateurs vote for them.
Frédéric Thiriez also points to the 60% increase in staff costs at the federation.
What do you have to answer him?
I am not here to analyze the Thiriez program, that does not interest me.
In the federation, there are more people.
We went from 100 million euros in turnover to 256 million euros.
Before, we used an agency for external advertising.
Today, we hired staff for that.
Clairefontaine has changed in ten years.
We put people on the ground.
It's not the same thing at all.
There are more employees and this is normal, because we have changed the system.
Yes, there are more staff but there is no waste.
We don't need a loan, we don't have financial difficulties.
The management led by Florence Hardouin, general manager of the FFF, has been highly contested.
What conclusions do you draw from this?
I regret that it was so publicized.
There is a difficult relationship with several executives.
But today, Madame Hardouin is at her post.
Kenny Jean-Marie
(Editor's note: former chief of staff of Noël Le Graët at the FFF)
left for Fifa because a position suited him.
It was I who advised Gianni Infantino
(Editor's note: President of Fifa)
to hire him.
Florence Hardouin, here with Noël Le Graët. / LP / Arnaud Journois
Are relations with department heads calmed down?
There was a little complicated period, but it's over.
It didn't deserve so much, but that's because it's football.
Florence Hardouin changed her management methods?
Today, everyone works in harmony.
The broadcasters of the Coupe de France, France Télévisions and Eurosport, are asking for a discount, as Mediapro has done with the League.
What do you answer them?
I am on very good terms with them and I told them no.
The Coupe de France, we achieved a miracle.
Out of 258 teams, there are only 7 team forfeits
(Editor's note: 8 in reality)
and no incidents.
We found a formula with amateurs.
Everyone is looking at their interests.
But there is no question today of lowering the rights.
Have you regretted relaunching the Coupe de France when some amateur clubs cannot train properly?
There were only 7 forfeits.
It is a huge success.
This pushes the State to look with us if we can not move more quickly towards a resumption of amateur football.
For the moment, the virus is in control.
We had an exemption.
There were no incidents.
We set up a medical service.
We set up a device in no time.
What did you think of the statements of Michel Moulin, candidate for the presidency of the FFF?
He wants to force Didier Deschamps to select Karim Benzema if he is elected.
If he is elected, he will.
Everyone has their own program.
With Didier Deschamps, we've known each other for quite a few years.
If we were not on good terms, it would reflect on the France team.
We are lucky to have gradually created a friendship rather than a relationship of boss to employee.
We can talk about football but I wouldn't think of advising him players.
Impose my choices on a coach, not even in a dream, to chat yes.
I'll tell you an anecdote.
Once I thought the 4-3-3 was too defensive, I teased it.
Didier presents me with a team with three defensive midfielders.
I tell him I thought he should put four ... He took it badly.
Finally, he changed his team during the match and we won 1-0.
But it's not thanks to me, it's life.
It is not done to impose one's choices.
"We can talk about football but I wouldn't think of advising him players," said Noël Le Graët of Didier Deschamps./LP/Arnaud Journois
What is the goal for Euro 2021?
We aim for the last square.
We are one of the best teams at the Euro.
The idea is to go in the last square and do the maximum afterwards.
In the event of re-election, your mandate would stretch until 2025. Could Didier Deschamps still be in charge of the selection at that date?
He will be out of contract after the World Cup in 2022. If I am in place, it is likely that I will discuss with Didier again.
Today, I'm not sure he wants to leave the France team after the World Cup in Qatar.
But it's too early to talk about it.
We saw each other in Paris last week.
We talked about football, even after Qatar without really thinking about it.
The role of coach, it suits him like a glove.
It is indisputable, undisputed.
We feel that he does not necessarily want to train a club again ...
When you play ten qualifying matches in a year, when you win the World Cup and you are a Euro finalist, these are high level matches.
It is difficult to find that in a club, outside of PSG or European clubs of this level.
But you will have to ask him how he sees his future.
Organizing a Euro in twelve different cities, is it reasonable?
At the time, I found that Michel Platini's idea was atypical but that it was worth it because there are so many countries that wanted to organize the competitions.
For now, UEFA maintains, but will they organize the event in the twelve cities?
No certainty.
But I think there will be no supporters.
Do you still want to call Kylian Mbappé with the France Espoirs team for the Olympic Games?
It will certainly be more complicated with the Champions League, Euro, and Olympics competitions which will follow one another.
Haven't seen him lately to be honest.
Before, he absolutely wanted to come.
We are in favor, and if he still wants to come, we welcome him with pleasure.
This Sunday will be the clasico between OM and PSG.
What are your relations with Leonardo, the sports director of PSG?
We are rather in a very good relationship.
I like to titillate him once in a while and would rather he stop talking about refereeing.
He's an elegant guy who knows football well.
We've seen each other on several occasions, I like him, and I'm sure he likes me, but he doesn't like being contradicted.
What do you think of the European Superleague project in which PSG wishes to participate?
I am totally against it, 1000%.
UEFA is against, Fifa is against.
These two bodies, which are often at odds, are hand in hand on this subject.
As a Federation, we can not summon to the national selection the players who would participate in this Superleague.
Are you not worried that the tensions between coach Corinne Deacon and some players of the French women's team will be a time bomb for Euro 2022?
There were some minor skirmishes, but time is running out.
The girls love the France team.
Does everyone love their coach or their boss?
Of course we prefer everything to go well and I would prefer it to go like with Didier (Deschamps).
The girls communicated more, and when they are in the field, it just doesn't show.
Sometimes you have to know how to be right and leave time to time.
You supported Michel Denisot during the last election at the head of the Professional Football League.
What relationship do you have with Vincent Labrune, the new president of the LFP?
I have a very good relationship with him.
He came to the federation the day after his election, it was elegant of him.
We both said that the federation and the league should work together.
His beginnings are very good.
It's not easy to resume the league today with the lack of money, the Covid, worried presidents ...
Is it true that he advised you to call Vincent Bolloré in December?
I am an old man, I know Vincent Bolloré well.
I signed often with Canal, I signed with him at the time on Direct 8 for the French women's team.
I called him, yes.
But I leave this success on TV rights to the president of the league who had a good performance.
Is your statement on racism which does not exist or hardly exists in football one of the few regrets of your last mandate?
I didn't feel that I had said nonsense, it was more of a blunder.
I still say that thanks to football the kids play together.
Racism around football, of course there is.
There is surely racism around the stadiums or from some leaders or spectators.
But it is one of the sports that unites the most.