The French Football Federation’s president, Noël Le Graët, has issued an apology to Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest soccer players in history, following recent comments made about him. In a recent interview, Le Graët said he didn’t give a “damn” about Zidane’s future.
The FFF president commented on this following the question of extending Didier Deschamps’ contract till the 2026 FIFA World Cup instead of giving Zinedine Zidane a shot at coaching the French national team which has been a dream for Zizou and about Zidane’s next move in his managerial career.
How did Kylian Mbappe got involved?
Mbappe and Zidane share a special bond with each other. The 24-year-old often cites Zidane as one of his biggest inspirations and role models in football.
Ever since Zidane took over as manager of Real Madrid in, he has always publicly expressed his admiration for Mbappé and often stated that he would like to bring Mbappe to Madrid. Although a transfer never materialized, the two have met on several occasions, and Mbappé has spoken about the positive impact that Zidane has had on his career.
Unsurprisingly, following Le Graët’s comment, Kylian Mbappe leaped to the defense of Zinedine Zidane, by reacting on social media. In a tweet, the 24-year-old sensation said “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect the legend like that.”
Zidane c’est la France, on manque pas de respect à la légende comme ça… 🤦🏽♂️
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) January 8, 2023
Following widespread condemnation and requests for his resignation from other strong entities including Real Madrid, Le Graët has now issued a public apology, after calling for an emergency press conference, stating that the comments were “unfortunate” and that they do not reflect his true feelings towards the soccer legend. He went on to say that he has the utmost respect for Zidane and his accomplishments on and off the field.
“I would like to apologize for these remarks, which absolutely do not reflect my views, nor my consideration for the player he was and the coach he has become,” La Graët said in his statement.
“The interview to RMC should not have given because they were looking for controversy by opposing Didier and Zinedine Zidane, two greats of French football.
“I admit that I made some clumsy remarks which created a misunderstanding.”
The apology of the French football’s president was met with mixed reactions with many still suggesting he should not continue representing the FFF with such an attitude.
