the beginning of an adventure on the other side of the world after six eventful months on the Blue planet

A first leap into the unknown. Arrived on July 15 in Sydney where they have established their base camp, the Bleues will observe behind their television the first steps of the New Zealand co-hosts (against Norway) and Australia (against Ireland) in their World Cup, Thursday July 20, with in sight, their own entry into the running against Jamaica on Sunday July 23. A new adventure that punctuates several eventful months.

To lead this Oceanian expedition, the coach Hervé Renard is not necessarily the one who was expected. Because at the end of Euro 2022, the future of Corinne Deacon seemed sealed. For the first time in ten years, the ex-international, however decried for her managerial practices, had just led a tricolor group to the last four of a major competition. Enough to guarantee her an extension until the 2024 Paris Olympics, in which she will not participate.

A climate long time pestilential

Since taking office in 2017, relations between Corinne Deacon and her locker room have rarely been easy. The post-World Cup 2019 aftermath at home, described as“sporting failure” after the elimination against the Americans at the quarter-final stage (2-1) marked a turning point. Even if it was necessary to wait for the tongues to loosen timidly. “I’ll be honest, it’s a scar that still hasn’t healed, this World Cup world“, released goalkeeper Sarah Bouhhadi, announcing a break with the selection, at the end of July 2020.

It is finally Amandine Henry, who breaks the abscess for good during an interview broadcast on November 15, 2020 by Canal +. Made aware of his non-selection during the previous gathering by a call from “14 or 15 seconds” of the coach, without any sporting reason being given to her, the Olympique Lyonnais midfielder reveals that she spoke earlier with Noël Le Graët, still president of the FFF, about the “heavy and negative feedback” of her teammates at the 2019 World Cup.

“Humanly, I saw girls crying in their rooms. Personally, I sometimes cried in my room because I wanted to experience this World Cup, but it was total chaos”.

Amandine Henry, ex-captain of Les Bleues

at Canal+

Recalled in the process, she will then no longer set foot in the selection of the mandate of Corinne Deacon. Despite the presence of many Lyonnaises within the national workforce, no rebellion was triggered then. Almost surprising given the situation.

The climate at Les Bleues deteriorated again when the former coach of Clermont selected PSG player Kheira Hamraoui in February 2022. Caught in an ambush and beaten with an iron bar for four months, the midfielder saw, from the bench, her club teammates, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, celebrate a goal against the Netherlands by forming an “A” with their fingers. A way of protesting against the choice of Corinne Deacon by supporting another Parisian, Aminata Diallo, suspected of having ordered the attack and absent from the selection.

The Spark Wendie Renard

All these past incidents could have sparked a crisis much earlier within the France team. It is ultimately Captain Wendie Renard, from whom Corinne Deacon had initially removed the armband upon her arrival, who ignites the powder. “This type of match is not possible. It must alert”plagued the defender after two worrying defeats against Germany and Sweden in the fall of 2022. After new sluggish performances at the Tournoi de France, the influential Lyonnaise announced that she was withdrawing from the selection on February 24.

“I can no longer endorse the current system far from the requirements required by the highest level. It is a sad but necessary day to preserve my sanity”, she writes on her social networks. She was soon joined by several of her partners five months from the World Cup, including the titular striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, but also Kadidiatou Diani, who had preferred “refrain from commenting to avoid being vulgar” a few days earlier when AFP asked him to comment on yet another return from Kheira Hamraoui.

“The captain intervened realizing that we could not win a major competition in these conditions”analyzes after the fact Patrice Lair, the Bordeaux coach, regretting all the same that no player has “followed by Amandine Henry two and a half years earlier”. Besides the denunciation of a “system”this position is an opportunity to put pressure on Corinne Deacon at a time when her main ally, Noël Le Graët, appears to be weakened within the Federation.

“It’s a story of good timing. Not only Noël Le Graët was in difficulty on the side of the FFF. But in addition, the only one able to represent French women’s football, Jean-Michel Aulas, was preparing to leave OL. Corinne Deacon did not correspond to the new decorum that was going to be installed”summarizes Hubert Artus, historian of women’s football and author of the book Girl Power: 150 years of women’s football.

“With hindsight, we can say that Wendie Renard played it the Swedish way he continues, pushing the analysis. In Latin countries like France, feminism asserts itself more on the claim of freedoms related to the body and sexuality. But in the Scandinavian countries, it consists rather of integrating the head of the institutions and taking the power. By threatening not to play, that’s exactly what Wendie Renard did. It’s quite fine strategically because she ended up hitting where it hurt the most, aiming for the coach.”

Hervé Renard to revive the locker room

The shock wave quickly takes effect. If a press release from the FFF reminds “that no individuality is above the French team institution”Corinne Deacon is thanked on March 9 “in view of the widely publicized conflict opposing it to players”. Propelled to the interim presidency of 3F, Philippe Diallo – helped by Aline Riera and Jean-Michel Aulas in his capacity as boss of the women’s football commission – must quickly find the identity of his successor.

It was then that Hervé Renard, despite hisyears of experience with a women’s team, contact “JMA”. “I understand he didn’t believe it at first, until I confirmed my interest in person.will later detail the tactician in an interview with The magazine team. It was I who conveyed the message that I was a postulant. Even if nobody had thought of me, I hoped that there would be a favorable echo.

Once snatched from the Saudi selection, at the head of which he brought down Argentina in Qatar, the adoption of Cannes is inducted at the head of the Blue, during a press conference, March 31. “We will have to create a united group. We are together, we are not divided, then hammers the man in the ironed white shirts. The staff and I are very motivated. We can achieve great things if we are united, if we have a remarkable state of mind. That’s what I’m going to focus on.”

But not only, as he himself declared to The magazine team referring to himself as “a kind of sales rep for women’s football”Hervé Renard also came to give a new image to this French team.

“Hervé Renard is a good communicator. For the moment, the signals are good. He ticks all the right boxes, in particular that of being more open with the press than his predecessor was.”

Hubert Artus, writer and historian of women’s football

at franceinfo: sport

From words to deeds from the first meeting in April, during which attention is paid to the smallest details. On the one hand, the double winner of the African Cup of Nations allows Amel Majri to bring her baby, Maryam, to Clairefontaine. Something to soften and unite the group around its mascot. On the other hand, it recalls players dismissed for a long time, while Amandine Henry, unavailable, is announced eligible again.

This new atmosphere is paying off on the ground. For his first on the bench, Hervé Renard sees his daughters, for a while thrown off balance, come back from 0-2 to 5-2 against Colombia, thanks in particular to a double from the returning Eugénie Le Sommer. “He was the one who brought me back, I had to pass the ball back to him. It was a small gesture to say thank you”comments the top scorer in the history of the selection, after celebrating her equalizer with the new tactician.

A new prestigious victory against the Canadian Olympic champions in title (2-1), the pass of three made in Ireland (0-3) and here is the capital of confidence of the Blue reinflated, notwithstanding the narrow defeat against Australia in Melbourne (1-0), Friday, to close the preparation.

A cascade of injuries plunges the Blues into limbo

A sufficient record to aim for the world title? It is less obvious in view of the major absences on each line. If Kadidiatou Diani recovered in time from her broken collarbone, Delphine Cascarino and Amandine Henry were added at the last moment to the long-standing packages of defender Griedge Mbock and scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto.

Victim of a sprained ankle against Australia (0-1), the versatile Selma Bacha, who left with a frame label from the top of her 22 years, was kept in the group and retains hope of making her comeback during competition.

“We will miss many of our top players. But I think that Hervé Renard nevertheless has a gift for sublimating the teams. He has always managed to galvanize his groups among the boys. He has the possibility of compensating with something else”.

Patrice Lair, coach of the Girondines de Bordeaux

at franceinfo: sport

“We must not forget that the federation implicitly has a double objective, also tempers the writer Hubert Artus. Performing well at the World Cup is important but not essential. What is essential is to win the Olympics or at least to get a medal.”

Still, the announced objective for this summer is to reach the semi-finals. The French team would therefore be well advised to shine and definitively record its rebound in the land of kangaroos before planning for Paris 2024. This requires above all a well-negotiated start to the World Cup, with a largely reworked battle plan.