Selected by Hervé Renard for the last meeting of the year, the Paris Saint-Germain striker could wear the tricolor jersey for the first time since July 2022, Friday against Austria.
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A well-known boss. Injured cruciate knee ligaments during Euro 2022 and sidelined for more than a year, Paris Saint-Germain star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto should end more than 500 days of absence from the Blue. Recalled by Hervé Renard for this last gathering of 2023, she could take part in the League of Nations meeting against Austria, Friday December 1, in Rennes, which could open the doors to the Final Four for Les Bleues.
“It took her a while to get back into the rhythm after her long convalescence. You have to be patient with Marie. She is doing good things, but she is capable of still progressing”, explained the coach when announcing his list a week ago. His return to the French team, however, raises several legitimate questions.
Is she at her best?
Unlike Griedge Mbock, who returned to the France group at the first opportunity, Hervé Renard preferred to do without the Parisienne last month, judging that he was “still too early” despite a resumption of competition in mid-September. Since then, the striker has still not played a single full match with her club. Coming out at half-time against Bayern Munich last week in the Champions League, Katoto showed her limits according to her coach. “Maybe we were too quick on the stages. In my opinion, she wasn’t quite ready to handle the intensity of this kind of match”, then estimated Jocelyn Prêcheur, the PSG coach. Enough to question the relevance of selecting her with the Blues.
For Patrice Lair, coach of the Bordeaux women’s section, who knew “MAK” during his time on the Parisian bench, it is nevertheless “a logical decision”: “We need to bring her closer to the group in preparation for the Olympics. We don’t know if she will play a lot at this gathering but just for morale, it’s important for her to train with the French team, especially when we know that confidence is an essential aspect for an attacker.”
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When unveiling his selection, Hervé Renard – who has telephoned Katoto a lot since taking office – also indicated that he wanted “support her in the best way so that she can bring all her qualities to the table in the near future”in other words by next summer for Paris 2024. “I’m still very far from being 100% and I won’t be for a while. My goal is to be ready for February-March to finish the season well and reach a level close to mine”the main interested party told Franceinfo this Wednesday.
How to maintain group spirit despite its return?
With this prospect of an Olympic list reduced to 18 names, the return of Marie-Antoinette Katoto (32 caps, 26 goals), and in the medium term of Delphine Cascarino, will increase competition in attack among the Blues. “The biggest challenge for Hervé Renard will be to continue to concern everyone, to show the players that they are all important. We have to have a suitable speech to keep this group dynamic, reassure at certain moments, prick at d ‘others”believes Patrice Lair.
For the coach, “emulation” is one of the key issues. “Some will have to agree to play less and sacrifice themselves for the collective aspect which is predominanthe warned. When these international internships arrive, we must first prove with an impeccable attitude and then, show that we are capable of contributing something.”
If she has already scored three goals in 10 meetings with the capital club, Marie-Antoinette Katoto will quickly have to give guarantees since there will only be two truces before the summer of 2024. In her absence, certain attackers have provided certainties, like winger Julie Dufour, who is having an excellent start to the season at Paris FC (10 goals in 15 games) but whose place could be in doubt for the Games.
How to combine Katoto and Le Sommer up front?
Until then, Hervé Renard will have to work on finding a formula to integrate the triple top scorer in D1 Arkema (2019, 2020, 2022). “Marie is a presence in the area, a size who can head, bring power and hold the ball high. In addition, her simple presence can attract defenders and allow other Blues to highlight in spaces”, analyzes Patrice Lair. So many assets for the 25-year-old player which seem hard to use anywhere other than in the center.
Under the current coach, this position is occupied by Eugénie Le Sommer, record holder for goals scored with the Blues (92). But he believes that the two players have “very complementary qualities” : “Today, doing without Eugénie Le Sommer, quite frankly, I do not envisage it for a single second. I have been at the head of this French team for eight months and she impresses me in every match. With Marie, they have everything to be associated”the tactician said.
In the Nations League, the Blues play in a 4-3-3 formation with Eugénie Le Sommer at the forefront while Kadidiatou Diani is installed on the right. According to Patrice Lair, who also coached “ELS” in Lyon for four seasons, “Eugénie is capable of playing on the left side but also, around a fixation point like Marie from a more backward position of number 10”. The options therefore seem numerous and we could have a first glimpse this Friday, when a victory against Austria would qualify France for the Final Four next February.