The French women’s football team begins its Euro this Sunday in England, with a first group match against Italy (9 p.m.). The expectation is great around these Bleues, ranked third in the world but who have never won a major trophy yet. “It’s true that we are all very impatient for a first title, we want it to be this summer” admits Sonia Bompastor, ex-international with 156 caps. Today coach of OL Women, the Blésoise warns: the Euro is at an increasingly higher level while the development of women’s football in France remains measured compared to certain European neighbors.
France Bleu Touraine: You played the Euro in 2001, 2005, 2009… what memories do you have of it?
Sonia Bompastor: It’s a very tough competition if you compare it to the World Cup because the European continent has a lot of good teams. We see it again on this summer’s edition, there are a lot of favourites. European women’s football has progressed with emerging countries, it’s a competition that is both open and tough if you want to go all the way and win.
Is it the year or never for the France team?
In any case compared to the history of the France team, it’s true that we are all very impatient to have a first title! We want it to be this summer. There is a beautiful generation and I really hope that they will succeed in concretizing. Now, the other countries are progressing and on our side, we have to stay at the top of the bill. In particular with the clubs, the Federation, the French team.
When you started out in Loir-et-Cher, then when you arrived in Tours at the end of your teens, were you pushed into the professional world?
The memories are very good because in my region, I have always had people who have accompanied me well, supported, encouraged, who gave me confidence in myself. At the time, football, like today, was my passion. I didn’t necessarily ask myself the question of whether I was going to make it my job. I was very committed because that’s what I liked doing the most. Behind, there was success.
President Nicollin was the first to have an interest in women’s football
There were several steps before going completely professional. I had the chance to integrate Clairefontaine (…) it allowed me to develop my potential and to be spotted. And I had the chance to rub shoulders with President Nicollin, he really wanted me to be able to join his club (Montpellier Ed). He was the first president to have an interest in women’s football and to give momentum. He initiated this professionalism in France. Then there was President Jean-Michel Aulas (Lyon, editor’s note) who today does a lot for the development of the discipline and for women globally in football in France.
Are we giving women’s teams the means to fulfill their ambitions today?
I think there are still areas for development. The clubs are working on it, the Federation too. That said, we have to speed up because there are a lot of clubs in Europe that have this political will and who invest so that women’s football grows. It is necessary (…) that there is a real awareness and a real political will to move things forward and that France remains one of the major nations of women’s football in Europe.
At the level of the regional leagues, we have to make sure to have a somewhat driving club. Here, it could be Orléans, it could be Tours
It is necessary to invest, sometimes for many years at a loss. Jean-Michel Aulas, that’s what he was able to do. The Federation must be able to help the clubs structurally, financially, in terms of educators, diplomas. At the level of the regional leagues, we have to make sure to have a somewhat driving club. Here, it could be Orléans, it could be Tours. That all the clubs in the region can identify themselves and be pulled by a kind of locomotive. We really saw it at Olympique Lyonnais, from the moment we won the first Champions League in 2011 (…) the team was really identified as a reference.
When you look at the progress made, you are an OL coach, one of the first stars of French women’s football, you have sports arenas in your name, including the Montreuil-en Touraine stadium… it makes you ?
Inevitably, there is a feeling of pride, even if it’s often the people around me who make me aware of things. stars? It’s a word that I use very little, which doesn’t really suit me because I assume that I am a human being like all other people. I do things with a lot of passion. I make sure to lead by example and if it can help, so much the better. I will always make myself available to help, to accompany. Because if there are young girls who want to live their dream, that’s the most beautiful thing in life.