As the Blues flew to Qatar on Thursday, they received a visit from the Minister of Sports, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.
The dinner, during which Christopher Nkunku celebrated his birthday, was organized around a large table, the minister having taken his place between Hugo Lloris and Didier Deschamps, and opposite President Noël Le Graët.
During her speech, delivered after that of Didier Deschamps, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra reminded the players of her wish to "preserve them from controversy", while specifying to them that they "were free as champions and human beings to express beliefs and values" and that "nothing should interfere with their freedom to express themselves.
The Minister also underlined that in “Team France, there is France, a country that fights a lot for human rights”.
A way to encourage them to carry their convictions and an indirect tackle to the president of the FFF who a few days ago, had explained that he was not thrilled at the idea that the captain of the Blues, Hugo Lloris wears an armband multicolored denouncing all forms of discrimination.
This Tuesday, the Blues announced that they wanted to support NGOs that work for the protection of human rights, through their endowment fund.
Tonight I went to wish the Blues good luck at Clairefontaine.
We talked about the passion 🇫🇷 for football, everything that @equipedefrance represents, the priority for them to give to ⚽️.
I also reminded them of their freedom to express their convictions, their values.
pic.twitter.com/ErYZoiOUKa
– Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (@AOC1978) November 14, 2022
During the meal, the subject of the audit requested by the minister on the functioning of the French football federation was not discussed.
If Noël Le Graët, in his introductory speech, had sympathetic words vis-à-vis the Minister of Sports, the latter did not respond.
“The atmosphere was not icy, it was polite,” we whisper to the ministry.
According to our information, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra did not appreciate the remarks of Noël Le Graët who explained, in particular in the columns of Le Parisien, that he is "not the least in the world" worried about the conclusions of the audit and that these are not
“
accusations, but rumors that are circulated on the basis of anonymous testimonies.
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The Minister of Sports left Clairefontaine, with a signed jersey, greeting "warmly" each player and each member of the staff, while Noël Le Graët had slipped away earlier in the evening, without having exchanged with Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.