Crisis at the FFF: a legal imbroglio around the layoff of Florence Hardouin

On January 11, the executive committee of the French football federation published the following press release: "Noël Le Graët, in agreement with the executive committee of the FFF meeting today in Paris, has chosen to withdraw from his duties as president of the Federation until the final communication of the audit carried out by the Ministry of Sports, and pending its analysis by the executive committee of the FFF.

The FFF's executive committee has also decided to lay off Florence Hardouin, general manager of the FFF, as a precautionary measure.

As of today, Philippe Diallo, deputy vice-president of the FFF, will act as interim manager of these two functions.

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Only concern, the comex does not have in the statutes the power to make such a decision in relation to the former general manager.

As the Team explains on Wednesday, he does not have the power to recruit, lay off or dismiss a director or general manager of the FFF.

In fact, this decision rests solely with the president of the federation.

The FFF has therefore tripped over the carpet.

The minutes of the meeting should have been drawn up by the competent services of the federation which attend the executive committees.

For that of January 11, they were not invited and they could not transcribe internal debates which they did not attend.

Three weeks after the meeting, no certified and valid document has yet been published.

During the January 11 comex, Florence Hardouin was criticized for having criticized, during a management committee, Le Graët's remarks concerning Zidane (the famous "I have nothing to shake" launched on RMC).

One or two members of the executive committee felt that it had not sufficiently protected its president.

On February 21, Florence Hardouin must be received for an interview prior to her dismissal, for “serious misconduct”.

She had suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized within hours of her layoff.

She is currently on sick leave.