Frederic Thiriez has called for a complete restructure in the way the France Football Federation is run as well as reformation in the presidential election system if they are to get Les Bleus back on track following a disastrous World Cup campaign.
Jean-Pierre Escalettes is still in charge of the federation (FFF) despite handing in his resignation last month, as they await to elect an interim president on July 23.
His successor was expected to be announced following a July 2 meeting but divisions between the amateur and professional game meant no immediate replacement could be found.
Thiriez, president of the Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP), and his counterpart in the amateur game, Fernand Duchaussoy, have been holding further discussions to determine the way forward before the federal council reconvenes.
And Thiriez, who has ruled himself out of the running, believes the electoral system needs to be completely reformed.
"The current way of electing the president isn't democratic. So I'm campaigning for a direct election of the president from the foundations, either by the 20,000 French clubs or by the 2million members themselves," said Thiriez, who believes the entire federation is desperately in need of a revamp.
"I'm advocating a modernised governance of the federation, which has to function in a more efficient and democratic manner," he added in an interview to Le Figaro.
"A strict separation between a Federation government which is a lot tighter and a collegiate body which is more representative is necessary.
"I'm advocating a strong executive in the form of a board of directors. One elected by the Federation, one elected by the professional league, the director of the Federation and the national technical director would sit on it.
"The current federal board would become a supervisory board made up of a third of top level sportsmen, a third amateur directors and a third professional directors."
France crashed out in the group stage in South Africa amid huge unrest in the camp, with Nicolas Anelka and then-coach Raymond Domenech involved in a bust-up which resulted in the Chelsea striker being expelled from the squad.
A subsequent strike by the players in protest at Anelka's expulsion added to the air of farce surrounding France's doomed campaign, which ended with the 1998 world champions finishing bottom of Group A with just one point and one goal to their credit.
Thiriez, who has several times called for the federal board to collectively resign, insists the only way for Les Bleus to recover from this crisis is to reform the federation.
"What happened was a real disaster," he continued. "Not only in the sporting sense but above all in the morale.
"The display that the France team put on in South Africa will have long-lasting negative repercussions on the whole of French football. It would be inconceivable to act as if nothing happened.
"It's not by replacing X with Y that you're going to change anything in the organisation of the Federation.
"That would be mocking the French people again. This crisis is, in contrast, the occasion to thoroughly reform the way the FFF functions.
"The federal system needs recreating. It would serve nothing to condemn individuals. The failure is above all collective.
"That's why I asked the members of the federal board to resign. Like that we would have publicly shown that we accept our responsibilities.
"There's no desire from the Ligue to take away the Federation's power. It's just about improving the organisation and the way it works."
His successor was expected to be announced following a July 2 meeting but divisions between the amateur and professional game meant no immediate replacement could be found.
Thiriez, president of the Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP), and his counterpart in the amateur game, Fernand Duchaussoy, have been holding further discussions to determine the way forward before the federal council reconvenes.
And Thiriez, who has ruled himself out of the running, believes the electoral system needs to be completely reformed.
"The current way of electing the president isn't democratic. So I'm campaigning for a direct election of the president from the foundations, either by the 20,000 French clubs or by the 2million members themselves," said Thiriez, who believes the entire federation is desperately in need of a revamp.
"I'm advocating a modernised governance of the federation, which has to function in a more efficient and democratic manner," he added in an interview to Le Figaro.
"A strict separation between a Federation government which is a lot tighter and a collegiate body which is more representative is necessary.
"I'm advocating a strong executive in the form of a board of directors. One elected by the Federation, one elected by the professional league, the director of the Federation and the national technical director would sit on it.
"The current federal board would become a supervisory board made up of a third of top level sportsmen, a third amateur directors and a third professional directors."
France crashed out in the group stage in South Africa amid huge unrest in the camp, with Nicolas Anelka and then-coach Raymond Domenech involved in a bust-up which resulted in the Chelsea striker being expelled from the squad.
A subsequent strike by the players in protest at Anelka's expulsion added to the air of farce surrounding France's doomed campaign, which ended with the 1998 world champions finishing bottom of Group A with just one point and one goal to their credit.
Thiriez, who has several times called for the federal board to collectively resign, insists the only way for Les Bleus to recover from this crisis is to reform the federation.
"What happened was a real disaster," he continued. "Not only in the sporting sense but above all in the morale.
"The display that the France team put on in South Africa will have long-lasting negative repercussions on the whole of French football. It would be inconceivable to act as if nothing happened.
"It's not by replacing X with Y that you're going to change anything in the organisation of the Federation.
"That would be mocking the French people again. This crisis is, in contrast, the occasion to thoroughly reform the way the FFF functions.
"The federal system needs recreating. It would serve nothing to condemn individuals. The failure is above all collective.
"That's why I asked the members of the federal board to resign. Like that we would have publicly shown that we accept our responsibilities.
"There's no desire from the Ligue to take away the Federation's power. It's just about improving the organisation and the way it works."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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