Zinedine Zidane has received support from Real Madrid after Noel Le Graet, the president of the French Football Federation, claimed he would have declined the 50-year-call old’s if it had been to inquire about the position leading the national team.
As Didier Deschamps was expected to take over after France’s defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, the former Real Madrid manager had been connected to the position of France manager.
The FFF recently revealed that Didier Deschamps, the organization’s current boss, had extended his contract till 2026.
The president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, added insult to injury by claiming that Zidane was never a candidate to lead Les Bleus and that he would not have even returned his call.
Real Madrid issued a statement in Zidane’s favour. The club called Le Graet’s remarks disrespectful and referred to Zidane as “one of the greatest legends of international sport.”
Le Graet’s remarks against Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or after scoring 44 goals in 46 games for Real Madrid previous season, were also questioned by the Spanish giants.
In a statement, the club said: “Real Madrid CF regrets the unfortunate statements made by the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, about Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest legends of world sport.”
“These words imply a lack of respect towards one of the figures most admired by football fans around the world and our club expects an immediate rectification.”
Le Graet afterwards expressed regret for his remarks. He said to L’Equipe: “These awkward remarks created a misunderstanding. I would like to present my personal apologies for these remarks which absolutely do not reflect my thoughts, nor my consideration for the player he was and the coach he has become.”
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