Le Graet said, in an interview with the Ouest France newspaper, more than 3 years after his resignation in February 2023 following accusations of harassment and several mistakes, that the issue of appointing Zidane “was never raised,” because Deschamps was achieving exceptional results.
He added: “My role was to protect my coach. At that time, Didier wanted to continue, and there was no reason to change.”
Le Graet’s position on Zidane had contributed to the escalation of criticism against him, after he had previously responded to a question about the possibility of Zidane communicating with him by saying that he “would not have answered the phone in the first place,” in statements that sparked widespread anger within French circles.
Despite this, Le Graet praised Zidane’s qualifications, saying that no one can doubt his abilities, after he won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid, considering that he understands football well and realizes the value of great players and important appointments.
The former president of the French Federation admitted that Zidane would have been a very strong candidate to lead the national team this summer if he had remained in his position, stressing that his name is automatically raised in any discussion because of his stature and results, and that no one denies that he possesses the necessary qualifications to coach France. (coora)
