Willy Sagnol backs David Lisnard in 2027 French presidential race, Digi Mart USA News (France): Former France international Willy Sagnol has publicly endorsed David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes and a candidate in the 2027 French presidential election. The former right-back, who earned 58 caps for France and was a 2006 World Cup runner-up, made the remarks in an interview with Sophie Mouysset, chief of staff to Lisnard, on the podcast Passage à l’acte.
Sagnol said he could not accept seeing the country pulled between two extremes. “We can see the situation in France at the moment, the political, social and economic situation,” he said, according to the report.
He also said he no longer wanted to be someone who complained every morning that the country was not working or was heading for disaster. He warned that if the nation remained caught between extremes, it would become even more sharply divided.
Sagnol attended the “La Gagne” summer university organized by Nouvelle Énergie in Cannes at the end of August.
The endorsement comes as a recent Ifop poll for LCI, published Tuesday, projects a second round between Marine Le Pen of the National Rally (RN) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise (LFI) in all scenarios. Lisnard, a liberal candidate with the Nouvelle Énergie movement, is reported to be gaining ground, with 7% to 9% of the vote depending on the scenario.
The movement has recently surpassed 100,000 members.
Sagnol, who was recently dismissed as coach of the Georgian national team, is not the first sports figure to weigh in on the 2027 election. Teddy Riner and Victor Wembanyama have also spoken publicly, and the sports world has launched a collective called “Sport 2027” to express a shared voice.
In partnership with RMC BFM and L’Équipe, the group plans to organize an unprecedented debate between the main candidates.
