France, often considered underachievers in women’s international football, are aiming to salvage their World Cup campaign with the appointment of Herve Renard as coach.
Despite a turbulent few months that threatened to derail their progress, the late appointment of Renard is hoped to make France genuine contenders.
Renard made the decision to leave his lucrative contract with the Saudi Arabia men’s team in order to respond to his country’s call after Corinne Diacre was dismissed in March.
Diacre had been in charge since 2017 but faced criticism after France’s quarterfinal exit as hosts in the previous World Cup in 2019, losing to the United States.
Leading players’ revolt further contributed to Diacre’s departure, rendering her position untenable.
Captain Wendie Renard had effectively said she would not go to the World Cup, which starts next week, if Diacre stayed because she could “no longer support the current system”.
Fellow stars Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto followed her lead in making their dislike for Diacre clear, and a change had to be made if Les Bleues were to stand any chance of going far in Australia and New Zealand.
The 54-year-old Renard, who is no relation to the France skipper, accepted a deal which will also see him lead the team at the Paris Olympics.
He immediately set about turning the page on the mutiny that cost his predecessor her job.
“I am focused on the present and the future,” he told AFP.
“I have not looked at what happened in the past. I have a fresh view on things having come from outside,” added the man who led Saudi to a stunning victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup.
Big paycut
Renard knows what it takes to win a major international tournament, having lifted the Africa Cup of Nations twice, with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015.
He admitted to taking an enormous pay cut to leave the Saudi position.
“If we are talking after tax it is 20 times less,” he said, before adding: “I never hesitated. That is not what will allow me to progress in football, even if it is important.
“What matters to me is the challenge and this is one I have taken on for other reasons. I am convinced I was right to take it.”
France will be expected to advance to the last 16 as group winners as they aim to at least match their best Women’s World Cup performance yet, of fourth place in 2011.
They have gone out of the last two World Cups in the last eight and lost in the semi-finals of last year’s Euro.
If they are to do better this time they will need to overcome injuries, especially to Lyon winger Delphine Cascarino, who was voted the best player in the French league last season.
She is out of the World Cup with a ruptured ACL.
“The absence of Delphine is a huge loss,” admitted Renard.
Prolific striker Katoto has also not recovered from a knee injury in time, while PSG midfielder Oriane Jean-Francois pulled out with an adductor problem.