The scene takes place last summer.
Michel Moulin and Jamel Sandjak, who have known each other for thirty years, meet at the headquarters of the Ligue Paris Ile-de-France, in the 1st arrondissement of the capital.
The first announces to the second his desire to run for the presidency of the French Football Federation (FFF) and he wishes to have the unwavering support of the boss of the powerful Ile-de-France League (7% of the votes in the federal election).
Jamel Sandjak, 61, refuses, telling him that he will undoubtedly join Noël Le Graët.
The former press boss and sports advisor of PSG (2008) jumped from his seat.
"How can you want to go on his list when you've been fighting for ten years?"
Since you do not want us to work together to take the Federation, I will put together a list to win the League of Paris during the elections in November
(Editor's note: which finally took place on January 5 because of the Covid-19)
.
"
Noël Le Graët and Jamel Sandjak in September 2017 during the inauguration of the regional technical center of the Ligue Paris Ile-de-France.
LP / Hendrik Delaire
The presence of Jamel Sandjak on the Christmas list Le Graët has, in fact, surprised many people in Ile-de-France football.
In 2017, Sandjak was on the list of Jacques Rousselot, president of Nancy and main competitor of Noël Le Graët.
In 2011, he also supported Fernand Duchaussoy against the ex-president of Guingamp.
“Today, he makes decisions in amateur football which turn out to be closer to my convictions,” Sandjak told us in May 2020 after the end of the amateur championships.
The two men grew closer during this time.
Noël Le Graët then offered to join him in view of the federal elections which were initially scheduled for the end of the year.
If he accepts, he offers him to join the FFF executive committee (executive committee made up of 14 members).
Jamel Sandjak reflects and announces to him that he will give his answer after the elections to the League of Paris.
"For two years, we have exchanged a lot"
“Noel Le Graët had offered me nothing during the last two elections, while my friend Fernand Duchaussoy and then Jacques Rousselot asked me to participate with them in a very interesting project,” explains Jamel Sandjak.
For two years, we have spoken a lot with the President of the Federation on amateur football, women's football and the French team.
And we inevitably got closer.
"
With his brothers, this former supermarket manager is an emblematic figure of the Noisy-le-Sec club (striker, trainer then general manager), which he led in sixteen years from the departmental level to the National (3rd division), that is to say 11 accessions.
Influential figure of the Left Radical Party (national secretary, member of the bureau and departmental president from 1998 to 2002), he was beaten in the municipal elections of Noisy-le-Sec in 2001 (9.87% of the vote) before retiring of political life a year later.
In 2008, he became the boss of the District of Seine-Saint-Denis and then conquered the regional body four years later.
Jamel Sandjak (right, here in 2005) is a personality of Noisy-le-Sec, like his brother Nasser.
The Parisian
During his terms of office, Jamel Sandjak notably established the youth finals of the district of 93 at the Stade de France and he is at the origin of the creation of the regional technical center of Morfondé, in Villeparisis, in Seine-et-Marne (inaugurated in 2017 ) and 1000 jobs within clubs in order to professionalize the amateur world.
He also put in place a security plan in 2014 to reduce violence on and off the pitch.
In January 2019, he had suffered a heart attack.
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Charming, his personality does not leave indifferent.
"Jamel unleashes passions and ambition is not a crime," says Nasser Gammoudi, the president of the District of Seine-Saint-Denis.
He carried people and I am an example of that.
When he asked me to be on his list in 2008
(for the District election)
, he didn't promise me anything.
We have done great things together.
I was thrilled by his charisma and his ideas.
Once elected, he offered me the post of Secretary General when I was not sure I was up to the task.
"
Pursued by rumors
During the last campaign for the election to the League of Paris, an anonymous email was sent to almost all the Ile-de-France clubs (1200) where it was indicated in particular that one of its vice-presidents managed a company in charge of the work in Morfondé .
"We lodged a complaint for these false allegations," indicates the person concerned.
We have two commissions for Morfondé, one that controls the quotes and the other that monitors the work.
Everything is square.
His opponents, today in the camp of Frédéric Thiriez, denounce a financial operation of total opacity, without these attacks going beyond the stage of rumor.
Some have also criticized him for his monthly allowance of 2,400 euros.
“I had spoken about it before my re-election in 2015 and then 80% of the clubs agreed with it.
This money comes from the French Federation.
The expenses of the clubs never increased and we bought Morfondé without asking the clubs to participate in any way.
Everything is the responsibility of the League, I fought to find partners.
On January 5, he was elected for the third time at the head of the League of Paris-Ile-de-France with 53.68% of the vote.
His personality divides amateur football
“Objectively, his record is good and even very good,” said Abdel Assouane, coach of La Colombienne (R1).
On the other hand, he never came to see us or to meet us in eight years of mandate.
I think he is more in a political posture which aims to privilege individual interests.
"
"For me, he's a careerist", declares Philippe Calvé, the president of FC Parisis (D1) who is leading a sling with several clubs not to pay the last part of their contributions to the League under the 2nd installment of licenses 2020-2021.
"A person like him at the Federation can only be positive for the amateur world," says Mickaël Bertansetti, president of Linas-Montlhéry (N3).
I did not deal with him directly but his services are very efficient.
The Paris League accompanied us last year for the organization of our 32nd final of the Coupe de France against PSG, then this season during the creation of our stadium.
They say he has long teeth, but I don't see any harm in that.
After having been president of the District and then of the biggest League in France by serving amateur football, he wants to go even higher and I find that rather coherent.
"
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Thanks to the rallying of Jamel Sandjak and his network in amateur football, Noël Le Graët is the big favorite in the federal election on Saturday.
If successful, Sandjak will join the executive committee.
"He has no executive function, so he will have other development missions and can remain president of the League of Paris, thinks a regular visitor to 87, boulevard de Grenelle (Paris XVth).
Sandjak uses Le Graët, but Le Graët also uses Sandjak.
The president of the FFF takes him on his list because he secures the votes of the biggest League in France and 7 out of 8 Parisian districts. It is a strategic move.
It is not only Sandjak who secures a future, but NLG who ensures that they win.
In fact, they are helping each other.
"