Top French football official resigns

The general manager of the French Football Federation (FFF) handed in his resignation on Friday in a further sign of divisions at the highest levels of the organisation.

Jacques Lambert had been in the position since April, 2005, and had been seen as the architect of France’s successful bid to host the Euro 2016 tournament. Prior to that he had been head of the organisation committee for the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

Announcing Lambert’s departure, FFF deputy president Noel Le Graet said that it would be a hefty blow to the organisation which has been in turmoil since France’s disastrous World Cup campaign in the summer.

In South Africa bitter international divisions in the French camp brought an open revolt by the players against coach Raymond Domenech culminating in a boycott by them of a training session ahead of their final game.

In the wake of that, the FFF’s top official, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, was forced to resign and the unpopular Domenech was sacked to be replaced by Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc.

“This shows that there is no unity and that is something that we have to find at all levels,” Blanc said.”