The message is clear. Since defender Wendie Renard (141 caps, 34 goals) took a stand in favor of a change to the France team, several key players from Les Bleues, including Parisians Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, have followed the movement to trying to get things moving as the World Cup looms in a few months (July 20 to August 20). The main target: Corinne Deacon.
The case of the coach, in office for almost 6 years, will be decided by the Executive Committee of the Federation meeting, this Tuesday, February 28, following the audit requested and delivered by the Ministry of Sports on the management and the internal functioning of the body.
Influential member of the comex, Jean-Michel Aulas, president of the high-level women’s football committee created in December 2021, hopes that the players will be heard and that a radical decision will be taken as a result. “I have the impression that we have moved forward in a situation of no return, explains the president of OL in remarks relayed this Monday by L’Équipe. When we see the management of this French team, we see that it is not at all comparable to other major European teams. I know that we have the best players in Europe, perhaps in the world, and we can’t get results. As deadlines arrive with the World Cup and the Olympic Games in Paris, two fantastic events that cannot be missed, the executive committee must look carefully at the situation and make decisions. This seems to me to be mandatory if we want to respect the messages sent. »
The position the 73-year-old leader will take on Tuesday seems clear. He will campaign in favor of the departure of Corinne Deacon. “It seems to me objectively difficult to fight against it,” he said. Philippe (Diallo, acting president of the FFF) has done a lot of work of reflection and investigation of all the people who are interested in women’s football to have an opinion. He will give us his opinion tomorrow. But that seems difficult to me. The message delivered by the best French players, who are among the best in the world, the Federation cannot sit on it. This is my feeling and my opinion. »