French soccer president accused of improper conduct by agent

By The Associated Press

FILE - Head of French Football Federation (FFF) Noel Le Graet attends a press conference in Paris, Wednesday, March 2, 2016. The president of France's soccer federation apologized Monday Jan.9, 2023 after Kylian Mbappé, the French sports minister and Real Madrid all took him to task for brusque comments that he "couldn't care less" about Zinédine Zidane's future as a coach. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Christophe Ena]

PARIS (AP) — A sports agent has accused the president of the French soccer federation of improper conduct over several years. She says he only was interested in her sexually. Noël Le Graët has had a tumultuous week in France after saying he “couldn’t care less” about Zinédine Zidane’s future as a coach. He has previously faced claims of sexual harassment and the French soccer federation is the target of an investigation ordered by Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. The agent is 37-year-old Sonia Souid. She says in an interview with L’Equipe sports daily that Le Graët repeatedly tried to approach her from 2013-17. The latest accusation led to calls for Le Graët’s resignation from the head of the French Football Federation’s ethics council.