KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: The French football federation is to sue So Foot for defamation after the magazine accused Noel Le Graet, president of the FFF, of sending messages with sexual content to three employees.

Le Graet, 80, represents European federation UEFA on the council of world governing body FIFA.

A statement said: “The French Football Federation has decided to file a defamation complaint against So Foot magazine for the seriously defamatory allegations contained in its September 8, 2022 edition, which have been widely echoed by the press.”

The So Foot report, based on anonymous sources, described a “toxic environment” in the FFF, with cases of sexual and moral harassment, alcoholism and cronyism. The magazine claimed Le Graet had sent SMS messages with a sexual content to three individuals.

He is to meet Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra on Friday.

Le Graet denied this week that he will resign soon and asserted that he will fulfil his full term until the end of 2024. He has denied the allegations.

French football has other problems after the blackmail claim concerning a brother and associates of the Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

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