De l'affaire secrète de Mbappé aux dossiers noirs des Lions : Qui est Romain Molina, l'homme qui fait trembler la FSF ?
The world of sports journalism has its field reporters, tactical analysts, and star commentators. And then there's Romain Molina. A 35-year-old maverick based in Spain, this investigative journalist, author, and whistleblower has become the bane of international federations, unscrupulous agents, and the leaders of world football. Recently, his spotlight has shone on the Senegalese national team, reigniting interest in his unique methods and explosive revelations across the globe.
Romain Molina recently shook Senegalese football by publishing detailed investigations into the internal management of the national team and the Senegalese Football Federation. Far from focusing solely on sporting results, Molina exposed structural dysfunctions, favoritism within the coaching staff, and shady dealings surrounding the financial and logistical management of major competitions. His revelations describe a profound disconnect between the elite status of the players on the field and the amateurish nature of certain administrative decisions made behind the scenes. For the Senegalese public, accustomed to the federation's code of silence, these reports have been a real bombshell, sometimes prompting public opinion and authorities to demand accountability.
From France to Argentina: A global tally
Senegal is just one step in Molina's journey. His specialty has gradually shifted towards mapping corruption, influence peddling and, even more seriously, systemic sexual abuse of minors in sports.
In France, he was one of the first to denounce the toxic atmosphere within the French Football Federation under Noël Le Graët, highlighting cases of harassment, complicity, and opaque management. His investigations for The Guardian greatly contributed to the institutional storm that shook French football.
Beyond France, his career has taken on a new dimension since the 2020 revelations of child sex scandals in Haitian football. Thanks to the revelations in this Haitian case and the resulting liberation of speech, Molina has become a leading figure in the fight against child sexual abuse in sports. He now covers cases of sexual violence worldwide, from the Capello case in Gabon to Mali, Kenya, the Comoros, and Mongolia. His work extends beyond football, encompassing other disciplines such as basketball and taekwondo. In Argentina and the rest of South America, he also documents the dangerous connections between ultra-violent fan groups, cartels, and club officials, as well as the fraudulent financial schemes involved in the transfer of promising young players to Europe.
The Mbappé episode and the secret workings of French football
Among Molina's most publicized and highly confidential revelations is the one surrounding the entourage of French star Kylian Mbappé. One private story, in particular, has generated considerable interest. In 2021, the current captain of the French national team allegedly impregnated a young woman with whom he had a relationship. As it was an unwanted pregnancy, the woman, whose identity has not been revealed, reportedly decided to have an abortion, with the footballer's agreement.
Mbappé and his entourage reportedly took matters into their own hands, ensuring the young woman received optimal care at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine. In his efforts, the then-PSG striker allegedly enlisted the help of someone close to club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. This shadowy figure then reportedly pressured the player to obtain loans. This episode illustrates how modern football has become, according to the journalist's analysis, a machine for suppressing scandals to protect the market value and image of its most valuable assets.
Biography and career: The nonconformist of journalism
Nothing predestined this young man from Auvergne to become the Julian Assange of football. After graduating with a literature degree, he enrolled in a sports science program. It was as part of a professional project that he entered the world of media by interviewing journalists at Maxi Basket-News, who eventually offered him an internship. After publishing a noteworthy report on Alexis Ajinça, Johan Petro, and Ian Mahinmi, his adventure began.
Basketball remains his life's love, his absolute passion. It's when he talks about the exploits of Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Nikola Jokic, or the French team's silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics that the journalist finds his smile again. Football, on the other hand, fills him with profound disgust. Molina regularly confides that his goal in life is for the football industry to finally be recognized as a criminal organization, given the sheer number of abuses within it.
To preserve his complete freedom, he chose to work as a freelancer for prestigious international media outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, and The New York Times, while also developing his own channels. It is on Twitter and especially on his YouTube channel that he delivers his unvarnished investigations to a loyal community of hundreds of thousands of subscribers. By exposing the powerful in this way, he inevitably attracts criticism. Targeted by countless and increasingly frequent death threats and defamation lawsuits, he maintains that this will not stop him and, on the contrary, strengthens his resolve. Today, he embodies a unique figure in investigative journalism: solitary, connected, and fiercely independent.
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