Philippe Diallo has been getting used to his new role as president of the French Football Federation (FFF). On Thursday, September 7, when France plays Ireland at home for the Euro 2024 qualifiers, the 60-year-old will be at the Parc des Princes in Paris to attend his third French national team match since taking on the new role.

Elected by an overwhelming majority (91% of the vote) at the FFF general meeting on June 10, Diallo is well aware that his actions will be closely watched until the next federal election, scheduled for December 2024. The institution's former interim head has to see out his predecessor's term of office. Noël Le Graët, 81, resigned in February following an audit of the federation by the Inspectorate General of Education, Sport and Research, commissioned by Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.

Brought in after a deep political and moral crisis, the new boss has broken with Le Graët's governance in a number of different areas. First and foremost, he is, by his own admission, the "first paid president in the history of the FFF." He had clearly set out his intention to be remunerated in his new role.

His demands for payment were based on the fact that FIFA President Gianni Infantino was paid €3.62 million a year in 2022, including bonuses, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin earned €2.82 million gross in 2021-2022 and the president of the Professional Football League, Vincent Labrune, earned €1.2 million in 2022, according to the French sports newspaper L'Equipe. "I think that's the way things are going in the world of sport as it evolves. The responsibilities, skills and time devoted deserve to be remunerated, in my opinion," Diallo told Le Monde, in early June.

Asked at the time by this newspaper to be transparent about his fees, the FFF president initially refused. But, in early September, he finally agreed to give details of what the federation that he is in charge of pays him.

Elected in March 2021 as Le Graët's treasurer, "on a voluntary unpaid basis," Diallo went on to become deputy vice president, in the fall of 2021, after Brigitte Henriques stepped down as president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee. In this capacity, and "as proposed" by Le Graët, he then "received a monthly allowance of €8,000 gross, similar to what Brigitte Henriques had received."

According to Diallo, "this remuneration came into effect in March 2022" following a vote by the executive committee. At the time, the Federation's executive committee had agreed to pay him an amount capped under the general tax code, "in view of the nature of the position and the duties performed," as well as the FFF general secretary Laura Georges and another member of the FFF board, Philippe Lafrique.

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