The French national football team is facing a violent administrative and legal shock, after the French judiciary brought heavy criminal charges against Mohamed Al-Sanhaji, the prominent official in charge of security and logistics in the ranks of the “Roosters”.
This shocking development coincides with the phase of rearranging the papers within the technical staff led by Zinedine Zidane, which places the French Football Federation in a critical dilemma in front of sports public opinion. The French Public Prosecution had placed Al-Senhaji (57 years old) under official investigation, after a series of meticulous investigations conducted by the French financial intelligence unit “Tracfin”, revealing exciting details about a complex network of interests linking the man to some of the most prominent national team stars and artistic figures in the country.
Heavy indictment and money laundering
French judicial sources reported that the indictment against Al-Sanhaji, a former policeman who was previously seconded from the Ministry of Interior to work as a liaison and security officer with the national team, since 2004, includes about 20 criminal violations.
These charges included active and passive financial corruption, influence trafficking, fraud, receiving proceeds from misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering related to tax evasion. Under the strict judicial control measures imposed on him, Al-Sanhaji was obligated to pay a financial bail of 80 thousand euros. The court also took a decision to completely prevent him from communicating with current and former national team players, or members of the technical and administrative staff, and to prohibit him from practicing any activity related to sports, in addition to preventing him from entering the main stadiums and the famous “Clairefontaine” camp without prior judicial permission.
Bonuses and loans... Mbappe remained in the investigations
The real spark that sparked the investigation is directly related to “irregular” financial transactions that took place between Al-Senhaji and international star Kylian Mbappe. French press reports revealed that Mbappe transferred approximately 180,300 euros to the security official. These amounts are divided into a personal loan, worth 120,000 euros, and a direct reward amounting to 60,300 euros that the player gave to Al-Senhaji after the 2022 World Cup finals as a form of appreciation for his security efforts, including securing a special trip for the player to Cameroon.
While the player defends his good faith, by describing the amounts as “gifts and personal appreciation,” judicial authorities are examining whether these funds represent a cover for hidden private security services that are not legally and tax authorized.
“Culture of debt”... Laurent Blanc and Varane in the window of “Momo”
Investigations revealed that Momo's network of financial relationships was not limited to the star Mbappé alone, but rather extended to include a broad list that included about 15 players and coaches of prominent current and former faces in the history of French football.
According to documented leaks published by the French newspaper L'Equipe, Al-Senhaji took advantage of his close proximity and the trust of sports figures in him to collect funds whose total value exceeded 300,000 euros between 2020 and 2024, a large portion of which he obtained (about 215,000 euros) under the cover of “undeclared personal loans” allegedly to finance the purchase of his own house. Investigation documents showed that the former coach of the French national team and its historic star, Laurent Blanc, along with former Rooster defender Raphael Varane and former midfield star Sabri Lamouchi, all fell into the trap of these petitions. Each of them provided an amount of 20 thousand euros as a personal loan to Al-Sanhaji, as an expression of their support for him, following his insistence and his assurance to each of them individually that he was “the only person” from whom he asked for help, given his exceptional status with him. The list did not stop there, but also included other players who responded to his requests for varying amounts, including Yann M'Vila, who loaned him 15,000 euros, and Matteo Guendouzi, 7,500 euros.
The criminal danger in these transactions, according to the judges, lies in Al-Sanhaji’s reliance on a unified misleading strategy. He claimed to his victims that he was going through severe financial hardship and was ignorant of the real estate sector, while investigations proved that he actually owned two residential apartments that he was renting out for investment.
Investigators are currently focusing on a very sensitive text message that Al-Sanhaji sent to Ghandouzi in October 2024, which reflects his awareness of the illegality of these secret activities, as he clearly wrote to him: “If this matter comes out into the open, I am completely finished.”
Suspicions extend to artistic aspects
The issue did not stop at the borders of the green rectangle, but rather extended to include prominent artistic circles. During the same investigation, the French police heard the famous French comedian Jamal Debbouze. The authorities are investigating accusations alleging that Al-Senhaji exploited his influence and position within the federation to facilitate the participation of the artist’s son, Jamal Dabouz, in a summer football camp at the Clairefontaine Center in June 2023.
According to investigations, it is suspected that Al-Senhaji received personal benefits in return, which included free hosting in a “riad” owned by Dabouz in Morocco, along with the provision of a private driver and transportation vehicles, which are gifts that fall under the heading of “suspicions of misuse of duties and receiving illegal benefits.”
Shock in the corridors of the French Federation
This file constituted a strong blow to the stability of the administrative joints of the French national team, especially since Mohamed El Senhaji, known in sports circles as “Momo,” transformed over the course of two decades from a mere security guard into a “man of trust,” personal advisor, and close friend to successive generations of French stars.
Al-Senhaji had moved, in early 2026, to work in an official capacity within the new administrative and logistical apparatus of the national team, under the leadership of coach Zinedine Zidane, who was counting on him to arrange the upcoming camps.
With his duties frozen by a judicial decision, observers expect that this scandal will push the French Football Federation to comprehensively review the protocols for financial and personal relations between its employees and star players, to prevent the recurrence of such logistical and security breaches.
