“I wouldn’t even have taken it on the phone,” said the president of the French Football Federation, questioned about the Zinedine Zidane option to replace Didier Deschamp as coach of the Blues.
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We don’t touch Zidane with impunity. After declarations on the former number 10 of the Blues and ex-coach of Real Madrid who sparked an uproar on Sunday, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noël Le Graët, recognized, Monday, February 9, of ” awkward words “concerning Zinedine Zidane and presented her” apologies “to him:” These words absolutely do not reflect my thought, nor my consideration for the player he was and the coach he has become, “said the boss of the French football.
Questioned on Sunday to find out if the ex-player, who served as a number one option at the head of the Blues in the event of non-renewal of the Didier Deschamps contract, had called him in recent days, Christmas Le Graët had retorted: “Zinédine Zidane, I wouldn’t even have taken it on the phone.”
The boss of the FFF also responded dryly to rumors of the interest of the Brazilian Federation for Zidane.
“It would surprise me that he leaves there. He does what he wants, it does not look at me. I have never met him and we have never planned to separate from Didier Deschamps . I have nothing to shake, he can go where he wants, in a club, he would have as much as he wants in Europe, a big club. A selection, I barely believe in what concerns. “
This little diplomatic outing of Mr. Le Graët was not at all to the taste of the star of the Blues, Kylian Mbappé. “Zidane, it’s France, we don’t lack respect for legend like that …”, wrote on Twitter the PSG attacker.
The Minister of Sports had, for its part , immediately claimed “apologies” from Mr. Le Graët:
“Declarations again above ground with this time a shameful lack of respect, which collides with us all, to a legend of football and sport: a president of the first sports federation of France should not say that. apologies for this word too much on Z. Zidane, please. “