30, January 2023
Football: Everton appoint Sean Dyche as new manager 0
Relegation-threatened Everton announced on Monday they had appointed former Burnley boss Sean Dyche as their new manager to replace the sacked Frank Lampard.
Dyche has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract and will take charge for the first time for the Premier League club’s clash against leaders Arsenal at Goodison Park on Saturday.
“I know about Everton’s passionate fan base and how precious this club is to them,” Dyche said in a club statement.
“We’re ready to work and ready to give them what they want. That starts with sweat on the shirt, effort and getting back to some of the basic principles of what Everton Football Club has stood for for a long time.
“We want to bring back a good feeling. We need the fans, we need unity and we need everyone aligned. That starts with us as staff and players.”
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright said: “He quickly convinced me that he has exactly the right attributes to make himself a great Everton manager — and a man who could inspire our fanbase.”
Lampard was sacked last week after a run of nine defeats in 12 Premier League matches.
Everton are 19th in the Premier League after 20 matches — level on points with bottom club Southampton.
Source: AFP
30, January 2023
French FA chief Le Graet ‘no longer has legitimacy’ to stay in post 0
Noel Le Graet, the scandal-hit president of the French Football Federation under investigation for sexual harassment, “no longer has the necessary legitimacy to run and represent French football”, according to a report into governance failings at the body seen by AFP on Monday.
The report follows an audit of the FFF ordered by France’s Sports Ministry after allegations made against the 81-year-old Le Graet, who was forced to step down earlier this month pending its outcome.
“Considering his conduct towards women, his public comments and the governance failings of the FFF, Mr Le Graet no longer has the necessary legitimacy to run and represent French football,” the report said, adding that the body’s handling of cases of sexist and sexual violence was “neither effective nor efficient”.
Le Graet is currently under investigation by Paris prosecutors for sexual and psychological harassment following accusations against him made by football agent Sonia Souid.
The report stated that his attitude towards women “can be described at the very least as sexist”, and said that there was evidence his behaviour was “likely to be considered as criminal”.
He denies any wrongdoing.
Despite already stepping down and being replaced on an interim basis by vice-president Philippe Diallo, Le Graet is still officially recognised as president by world governing body FIFA.
The report also targeted the “brutal” management practices of the body’s director general Florence Hardouin, who has also been suspended from her role.
The FFF’s directors have been given until February 13 to respond to the conclusions of the report.
Le Graet’s mandate runs until 2024 but the organisation’s executive committee can decide to hold an extraordinary general assembly where it could vote to depose the standing president.
The affair has cast a cloud over French football barely a month after they reached the World Cup final in Qatar, losing on penalties to Argentina to just fall short of retaining the title they won in 2018.
Le Graet, who has been president of the FFF since 2011, had already faced calls to resign, including from Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, after dismissive remarks in a recent radio interview about France legend Zinedine Zidane’s potential interest in coaching the national team.
Didier Deschamps recently extended his contract to stay as coach through to 2026, having been in charge since 2012.
Source: AFP