Will Sebastian Coe spend the winter at the helm of world athletics? Reading the latest episodes of the IAAF soap opera, one can doubt it. Since his election last August at the head of the International Federation, Lord Coe has already been suspected of a conflict of interest in the attribution of the 2021 Worlds to the American city of Eugene, world headquarters of the equipment manufacturer Nike, of which he was most recently the ambassador (in exchange for an annual remuneration of 142.000 euros). He was interviewed by his former colleagues in the British Parliament as part of an investigation into doping. He is now weakened by the resignation on Tuesday December 22 of his chief of staff, Nick Davies. And, since today, singled out by the English press for a dubious rapprochement with the most publicized Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich.
The Nick Davies affair (left in the photo), first. Monday December 21, Le Monde publishes an e-mail sent by the former communications director of the IAAF, on July 19, 2013, to Papa Massata Diack, son of Lamine Diack and marketing consultant for the International Athletics Federation. A very explicit letter which reveals that Nick Davies was aware of cases of doping in Russian athletics. The Briton explains to the Senegalese the importance of minimizing the matter in case the names of the culprits are revealed.
In itself, nothing very untoward for Sebastian Coe. At the material time, the IAAF was chaired by Lamine Diack. But, in his email, Nick Davies explains that he wants to set up a press relations campaign to avoid a scandal. Using, for this, the agency “CSM”, translate Chime Sports Marketing, whose general director at the time was named… Sebastian Coe. Incidentally, Nick Davies writes: “We can also benefit from Seb’s political influence in the UK. It is in his personal interest to ensure that the world championships in Moscow are a success and that people do not think that his own country's media is out to destroy them. » Clarification: since his election as president of the IAAF, Sebastian Coe has made Nick Davies his chief of staff. In short, his right arm.
Nick Davies denied the facts. He assured that his electronic correspondence with Papa Massata Diack was only an “exchange of ideas”. He cleared Sebastian Coe, assuring in a press release that the IAAF had never worked with the CSM agency since the Briton was a member. But Nick Davies "withdrew from his functions" on the evening of Tuesday December 22, 2015. A decision accompanied by this clarification: "During statements in recent days, I have stressed that one of My main responsibilities were to manage and promote the reputation of the IAAF. It became clear that today I became the business. I have decided to step back from my role at the IAAF until the Ethics Commission is able to properly study the matter and see if I am responsible for any violation of the Code of Conduct. ethics. »
For Sebastian Coe, the blow is hard and the ground is less and less stable. A position further weakened by the revelations of Daily Mail, this Wednesday, December 23, according to which his campaign for the IAAF presidential election was partially financed by the Chelsea football club, owned by Russian Roman Abramovich. Citing a close friend of the IAAF president, the London daily explains that the English club would have contributed 200.000 pounds, around 270.000 euros, to the costs of candidate Seb Coe. Information confirmed by an official press release from Chelsea management where it is said that the club has “always appreciated the support” (from Sebastian Coe) and was very “happy to financially support his candidacy”.
The Daily Mail agrees: the decision to finance Sebastian Coe's campaign could have been taken by the board of directors of Chelsea FC without necessarily consulting Roman Abramovich. Possible. Nevertheless, the presidential chair of the former miler English has never seemed so uncomfortable.
