We have rarely talked so much about the French women’s team since the appointment of Hervé Renard as coach. So far, his arrival on the bench is 100% positive. Les Bleues won their first two games in charge against Colombia (5-2) and above all, this Tuesday evening, against the Canadian Olympic champions at Le Mans (2-1). A good omen before the World Cup next summer in Australia and New Zealand.
Except that, in Sarthe, for the last outing of the French team in France before the summer and despite the Hervé Renard attraction, there were only 14,201 spectators. The Marie-Marvingt stadium in Le Mans, a stone’s throw from the 24-hour circuit, can hold 25,000: it was therefore half full. What does not have more to the new coach: “It is not enough, but it is up to us to make sure that people are more and more interested, says the former coach of the selection of Saudi Arabia. We must all go in this momentum which should allow women’s football to move forward. There has been some turbulence, this image needs to be perfect if he is to grow up like he is growing up in England and Germany. »
There are reasons for this lack of enthusiasm. First, the programming of this meeting on a Tuesday evening in full competition with Champions League quarter-final matches on TV: “We can do better on that side, continues Renard. We could have played Thursday (against Colombia, not Friday) and Monday (instead of Tuesday against Canada). It’s difficult to compete with Manchester City-Bayern Munich. This is the top level in the world. We have to think about all that if we want the dynamic to go forward. Every detail will count for this women’s football that deserves it. On TV on W9, the match attracted 1.39 million viewers.
By the start of the World Cup, Les Bleues will play two last friendly matches against Ireland (July 6) and Australia (July 14). In Oceania, they will aim for a place in the last four.