Spanish football club Real Madrid released a statement defending the international players Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema following the statements made by the president of the French football federation (FFF), Noël Le Graët.
In an interview with RMC Radio, when told that Zidane had received a proposal from Brazil to manage the national team, Le Graët stated that if even Zidane called him to discuss coaching the French national team, he would not pick up the phone.
This put him under fire as many all over the world called out the FFF president for his insensitive statement.
Real Madrid, in which Zidane had a stellar career as a player and a coach, issued a statement to address the matter.
It reads: “Real Madrid C.F. regrets the unfortunate statements made by the president of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graët, about Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest legends of world sport.”
Real Madrid further explained that “these words are disrespectful towards one of the most admired figures by football fans around the world and our club is waiting for immediate rectification.”
“The statements of the president of the French Football Federation are inappropriate for someone who holds that representation and disqualify themselves, as those he also makes about our captain Karim Benzema, current Ballon d’Or, champion of the League of Nations with France in 2021 and winner of 5 Champions League, among many other titles,” concluded the statement.
When he was in command of Real Madrid, Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row. In a sparkling career, he won Euro 2000 with France. He is unemployed after leaving his position with the Spanish team in 2021.
On Benzema, Le Graët said that if the player wasn’t injured during the Qatar World Cup, perhaps Giroud wouldn’t have played and the team “wouldn’t have scored as much.”
The French Amateur Football Association is now calling for the FFF president’s resignation.
The association called for this in an interview with L’Equipe, the leading football French media, “denouncing the disrespectful and irresponsible remarks of the president of the FFF. His recurring behavior flouts the values of sport. This is why AFFA calls for his resignation, and calls for a new, more democratic, and transparent governance.”
Kylian Mbappe, the French national team’s star tweeted in defense of the legend, Zidane saying: “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect the legend like that!”
This Monday, Le Graët apologized after being called out for his statement by international media, especially Spanish football media outlets.
“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,” Le Graet said in a statement reported by the French newspaper L’Equipe.
“I admit that I made awkward remarks which created a misunderstanding. Zidane knows the immense esteem I have for him, like all French people.”
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