Hervé Renard recalls Wendie Renard and banned Eugénie Le Sommer for his first list of Blue

The new era is launched, 114 days from the World Cup. Officially appointed coach of Les Bleues on Thursday, Hervé Renard quickly got into the swing of things by unveiling, on Friday March 31, his first list of 26 players who will face Colombia (April 7 in Clermont-Ferrand) and Canada (April 11 in Le Mans), reigning Olympic champion. This will be the last gathering before the final list for the World Cup (from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand), before which the Blues will challenge Ireland (July 6 in Dublin) and Australia (the July 14 in Melbourne).

This first list marks a strong sign, with the return of the recent rebellious (captain Wendie Renard) and the former banished coach Corinne Deacon (Eugénie Le Sommer, top scorer in the history of the Blue). “I looked at all the individual cases, to get a clear idea of ​​the qualities of each player”he explained during the presentation press conference, adding that his discussions with Eric Blahic, former assistant to Corinne Deacon back in the staff, “have been very valuable”.

He said he had contacted the injured, who will not be able to attend this gathering, but not the other players. “What happened before is none of my business. I focus on the present”decided the new coach, who returned “Tribute to Corinne Deacon who had very good results with this selection.”

“The French team represents something importantsaid Hervé Renard for his first words as a coach. I have had a look at women’s football since 2014, watching the major competitions, the matches of the French team… It’s a question of challenge: nothing can replace major competitions in our profession. There, we are served between this World Cup and the Olympic Games next year. There is no better explanation to understand my choice.”