Jean-Pierre Escalettes, former president of the French Football Federation, passes away

At the helm of the FFF from 2005 to 2010, the Biterrois passed away on Tuesday, as announced by the FFF in a statement.

Jean-Pierre Escalettes, president of the French Football Federation (FFF) from 2005 to 2010, passed away on Tuesday, April 14th, as announced by the FFF in a statement. “A deeply respected and valued figure in French football, Jean-Pierre Escalettes dedicated his entire life to our sport, which he served with passion, humanity, and loyalty, from his beginnings as a player, coach, and club leader to the highest federal responsibilities,” stated the governing body of French football.

In charge of the FFF for five years, Jean-Pierre Escalettes experienced the 2006 World Cup final and the awarding of Euro 2016 to France in 2010, as well as the creation of the National Day of Volunteers (1998) and the Football Foundation (2008).

The Hérault native, who started as a coach and leader at CA Riberac, a club in Dordogne where he left a lasting impact “to the point that the Riberac stadium now bears his name,” as indicated by ICI Périgord, climbed the ranks in football governing bodies. In 1995, he notably established a body dedicated to amateur football, the National Council of Amateur Football, now known as the League of Amateur Football. Ten years later, he ascended to the highest position, inheriting the role from Claude Simonet at the helm of the FFF.

“I salute a man of conviction, profoundly human, fundamentally attached to the values of football, whose commitment, desire for transmission – inherited from his teaching background – sense of collectivity, and dedication to our sport will forever be exemplary,” reacted current president Philippe Diallo, quoted in the FFF statement.

Jean-Pierre Escalettes, an English teacher by profession and appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1998, was also known for being close to Raymond Domenech, whom he kept in his position after the failure of Euro 2008, where France exited in the group stage without a single victory. It was also during his presidency that Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele, and Lilian Thuram came out of retirement to participate in the French campaign to the 2006 World Cup final, lost to Italy.

His term ended when he announced his resignation on July 23, 2010, following the Knysna episode and the strike by the French team during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. “That was the great tragedy of his presidency. He was actually the first one to inform me when he resigned. I tried to dissuade him, but the pressure was too intense. I replaced him in a very complicated situation,” recalled Fernand Duchaussoy to L’Equipe, who then served as interim president until Noël Le Graët was elected in June 2011.