Ex-French Sports Minister admits drug testing for Les Bleus was suspended ahead of 1998 World Cup glory

In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through French football, former Sports Minister Buffet has confessed that her ministry suspended surprise anti-doping controls for the national team ahead of the 1998 World Cup. The admission, made during a documentary titled 'Zidane, the creation of a legend,' contradicts testimony she gave under oath to a Senate commission in 2013, where she denied any such intervention.

The documentary focuses on the rise of the iconic Zinedine Zidane, who recently took over as France head coach following Didier Deschamps’ legendary tenure.

Buffet explained that the decision followed a period of intense friction between the government and the football federation. After an initial surprise test at the team's training camp in Tignes in 1997, which saw all players return negative results, the backlash from the squad was significant. Aimé Jacquet, the head coach at the time, and the French Football Federation (FFF) reportedly viewed these tests as an unnecessary hindrance to their preparations.

Dr. Alain Garnier, the physician sent by the Ministry of Sports to conduct those tests in Tignes, provided a corroborating account of the events. He claimed that Buffet personally confirmed the instruction to cease testing.

According to Garnier, the directive was clear: "I should not bother the French team any more until the World Cup. In other words, no surprise controls." He noted that this instruction was only ever delivered verbally, likely to avoid a paper trail during such a high-stakes period for the host nation.

When confronted with the doctor's testimony, Buffet conceded the point, stating: "If Dr. Garnier says so, then yes, it must be true." She admitted that although she could not recall the exact phrasing, the sentiment was identical. "We didn't say it like that, but it amounts to the same thing. It was a step back," she confessed.

The source of the order appears to go even higher than the Sports Ministry. Buffet suggested that the decision to halt testing was not hers alone, indicating that it likely originated from the Prime Minister’s office. "We must have received instructions from the ministries," she remarked when questioned about who ultimately pulled the plug on the anti-doping program.

Ironically, Buffet became a leading figure in the anti-doping movement shortly after the tournament. In 1999, she championed the first major law organizing the fight against doping in France. She explained this shift by saying, "And after the World Cup, we resumed the fight."

The minister had previously claimed to be under "all kinds of pressure" during the 1998 build-up, but her latest comments mark the first time she has admitted to actively facilitating the suspension of the very rules she later helped to codify into law.

The fallout from this confession has been immediate in France, where the 1998 victory is viewed as a foundational moment for the modern national team. Buffet’s earlier sworn testimony is now under scrutiny, as she had previously told the Senate: "We never gave any directive in that sense."

The timing of the documentary also coincides with a period of transition for Les Bleus, as the shadow of the 1998 generation continues to loom large over the current setup. While the legendary figures of that era, such as Zidane and Deschamps, have moved into management, these administrative revelations cast a new light on the environment that fostered their greatest playing achievement.