Real Madrid releases a “strongly worded” official statement regarding Zidane
Real Madrid has added its collective voice to those who denounce the “lack of respect” shown by the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, to Zinedine Zidane.
The head of the French Football Federation had claimed he had never spoken to France icon Zidane about becoming the national team coach on the back of their runners-up finish at the 2022 World Cup, while also saying he would have shrugged off any attempts by the former Ballon d’Or winner to get into the league. talks.
Le Graet told RMC Sport: “Zinedine Zidane in Brazil? I don’t care, he can go wherever he wants! Did Zidane try to reach me? Absolutely not, I wouldn’t have picked up the phone to answer it anyway. I had never met him before, and we never thought of breaking up with Didier [Deschamps].”
After that, Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe was quick to criticize the president of the French Football Federation, on the background of that statement, as he demanded to deal with the national icon with respect.
Real Madrid has now published in a statement on the club’s official website: “Real Madrid C.F. regrets the unfortunate statements made by the President of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graet, regarding Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest legends of sport in the world.”
“These statements show disrespect for one of the most admired figures by football fans around the world and our club awaits immediate correction. Zinedine Zidane, a world and European champion who represents his country, among many other titles, embodies the values of sport and has proven this throughout his professional career as a player and as a coach.
And the statement continued: “The statements of the President of the French Football Federation are not appropriate for a person who has such representation and are in themselves inappropriate, such as those he also made about our captain Karim Benzema, the current Ballon d’Or winner, the Nations League champion with France in 2021 and the winner of 5 Champions Leagues, among many other trophies.
Later, Le Graet – who called Benzema a “donkey” during a notorious legal dispute with former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena – apologized for his “clumsy” comments about Zidane, saying in a statement released through the French Football Federation: “I would like To apologize for these statements, which absolutely do not reflect my thoughts nor my appreciation for the player he was and the coach he became.
Source: Goal
