On Tuesday (October 4) it was reported that the former vice-president of the French Football Federation, elected as the first female President in the CNOSF's 49-year history in June last year, had filed a complaint for "psychological violence" against the sacked former secretary general of the body, Didier Séminet.

The full details of this untimely crisis at the heart of French sport, which comes less than two years before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, remain unclear.

But Agence France-Presse has reported that Henriques filed her complaint on either September 19 or 20 after what was claimed to have been an extended period of disagreement among key figures at the organisation.

The former national team football player reportedly detailed meetings over several months in which the secretary general had "shocked" her with "threatening behaviour", creating a situation of increasing difficulty for her.

After two days of sick leave this week, Le Parisien reports that Henriques said in a letter to her administrators that she wanted to "preserve her health and protect herself."

She added that she had decided to "delegate the operational part of her missions" to four leaders - Jean-Pierre Siutat, President of the French Basketball Federation and vice-president of the CNOSF, treasurer Michel Caillot, deputy general secretary Astrid Guyart and Sébastien Poirier, vice-president of the CNOSF and President of the Motorcycling Federation.

But she made it clear she intended to be present in her Presidential capacity at the next Board of Directors meeting, scheduled for October 12, where she may face questioning over her decision to instigate Séminet’s removal last month at an extraordinary meeting of the CNOSF Board of Directors.

In a secret ballot an absolute majority of the 45 members present, including eight who joined online, voted in favour of Henriques’ proposal to dismiss him.

In the meantime Henriques has called upon the entire organisation to "recreate a climate of serenity and calm things down."

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Guy Drut had warned against Séminet's potential removal less than two years before Paris 2024.

France's former Sports Minister condemned the "dramatic" infighting and said it would be a "serious and unprecedented" move if Henriques were to oust Séminet.

Drut also noted that he was unaware of what Séminet was being accused of and added that fellow French IOC members Martin Fourcade, David Lappartient and Jean-Christophe Rolland were also none the wiser.

Séminet is Honorary President of the French Baseball Federation and was a candidate for Presidency of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, before being beaten by Italian Riccardo Fraccari in July, as he secured a second term in office.