French football chief Noel le Graet is accused of improper conduct
French football chief Noel le Graet is accused of improper conduct by football agent Sonia Souid – who claims he ‘looked at her like a piece of candy and left voicemails inviting her to drink champagne at night’ – amid row over Zinedine Zidane
- Sports agent Sonia Souid, 37, has accused Noel Le Graet of improper conduct
- She claimed in an interview with L’Equipe he was only interested in her sexually
- Souid said Le Graet left her voicemails inviting her out to drink champagne
- The federation president looked at her ‘like a piece of candy’, she said
- Le Graet, 81, has been engulfed in controversy over his Zinedine Zidane remarks
A sports agent has accused the president of the French soccer federation of improper conduct over several years, saying he only was interested in her sexually.
Noël Le Graët has had a tumultuous week in France after saying he ‘couldn’t care less’ about Zinedine Zidane’s future as a coach.
The 81-year-old soccer executive has previously faced claims of sexual harassment and the French federation is the target of an investigation ordered by Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera.
French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet has been accused of improper conduct by a female sports agent
Sports agent Sonia Souid, 37, said Le Graet treated her like a ‘piece of candy’
The agent, 37-year-old Sonia Souid, said in an interview with L’Equipe sports daily that Le Graët repeatedly tried to approach her from 2013-17.
She said that while she wanted to develop a business relationship with Le Graët to promote women’s soccer, he was more interested in leaving messages on her voicemail late in the evening to invite her to drink champagne.
France’s sports minister ordered an investigation into the federation in September after the body said it would file a defamation lawsuit against So Foot magazine, which reported that Le Graët allegedly harassed several female employees.
The French magazine published a six-page investigation quoting anonymous former and current employees, and inappropriate text messages that Le Graët allegedly sent to the women. So Foot also described an alleged toxic culture at the federation.
Le Graet has been caught up in a storm after saying he ‘wouldn’t pick up the phone’ if Zinedine Zidane (pictured) called him to discuss the job of managing the French national team
Souid, who said she first met Le Graët in 2013, also told L’Equipe that he texted her to ask her out or tell her he missed her. Souid said he never went too far verbally but made clear she should have sex with him to move her ideas forward.
‘He never looked at me like an agent but like a piece of candy,’ Souid said.
Souid said she was hurt by Le Graët’s attitude and that she thought about ending her career as an agent.
Asked whether Le Graët helped her professionally at some point, Souid said he helped her find the phone number of coach Corinne Diacre and that he tried to help her with business class plane tickets for France player Amandine Henry.
Souid said that Le Graet helped her find the phone number of France women’s team coach Corinne Diacre (pictured)
In addition to his role at the French soccer federation, Le Graët also has been a member of the FIFA Council since being appointed by UEFA in May 2019. The position pays $250,000 annually.
Le Graët is currently a candidate for another four-year term on FIFA’s ruling committee. He is being challenged for the seat by Portuguese soccer federation president Fernando Gomes. The election is set for April 5, when UEFA member nations meet in Lisbon.
Le Graët’s candidacy must pass a FIFA-run eligibility and integrity check. He can stand for election despite UEFA imposing an age limit of 70 for candidates to its own executive committee.
Le Graet pictured with the coach of the French men’s football team, Didier Deschamps (left)
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