Philippe Diallo re-elected as FFF president

Philippe Diallo has been re-elected to head the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation for a term that will run until 2028.

At the end of the Federal Assembly, which was held on December 14th in Paris, Alain Bach, the president of the Commission for the Control of Electoral Operations (CCOE), announced the results of the elections for both the presidency and for the FFF Executive Committee.

Philippe Diallo has been elected as president of the French Football Federation for a term that will run until 2028.

During an electronic vote that was organised on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th December among amateur and professional clubs and districts and leagues, incumbent president Mr Diallo’s list garnered 55,34 % of votes in the first round, with Pierre Samsonoff winning 44,65 %.

The turnout for these elections, which for the first time involved direct voting, was 40%, representing almost 79 % of the vote.

Formerly general treasurer at the federation, Mr Diallo, 61, took the role of interim president from January 2023 before being elected on a permanent basis on June 10th 2023.

Pierre Samsonoff (left) and Philippe Diallo (right) shortly before the announcement of the results (photo Baptiste FERNANDEZ / ICON SPORT).

“This morning marks the end of a long electoral process of nearly 9 months that began with the district presidents last spring, the league presidents in the autumn, and the final straight to the presidency of the Federation. This election allowed two candidates, two lists and two projects to present themselves, in complete transparency and allowing you to make a choice for the next four years. I would like to salute Pierre (Samsonoff) and his team for having led a worthy campaign that honours our Federation”, Mr Diallo declared. “In choosing our list, for the football that we love, you have expressed your desire to support our project and an entire team. From the beginning, I wanted this list to be composed of women and men who have experience, skill and a sense of responsibility. It is an asset for our Federation to have elected a solid team, capable of managing an institution as important as ours, and of not only forging links internationally but also with our local elected officials and the French government.”

Photo Baptiste FERNANDEZ / ICON SPORT

The re-elected president then laid out his plan for the coming months: "Tomorrow, work awaits us. I want to implement our project very quickly. From mid-January, I will convene an Executive Committee. Among the projects, a major conference of French football to define, together, our roadmap for the improvement of assistance for amateur football and its allocation. The project of a professional Ligue 3 placed under the patronage of the Federation will also be announced. Professional football is going through a crisis. It is necessary to put in place the elements of its resurgence. The FFF must provide the impetus. We want to ensure that French football is stronger in four years, that our projects become reality. Everything starts in our amateur clubs and with the involvement of our volunteers, our leagues and our districts. It is for them that we will do our utmost in a trajectory that must lead us towards €150 million annual aid for amateur football. We have embarked upon an ambitious project that aims to make our football among the very best in the world. This is the project that I want to carry out with you and the new Comex team. Thank you for your trust.”