Cyrille de la Morinerie, with AFP
modified to
9:05 p.m., March 30, 2023
Hervé Renard was appointed coach of the France women’s team on Thursday, at the headquarters of the French Football Federation (FFF) in Paris. The executive committee of the FFF met in the afternoon to formalize the arrival of Hervé Renard at the head of the Bleues to replace Corinne Deacon, sacked on March 9. Hervé Renard (54), double winner of the African Cup of Nations at the head of Zambia (2012) and Côte d’Ivoire (2015) but who has never led a women’s team, will have as mission to make Les Bleues shine at the next World Cup, organized from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand, then at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
First list this Friday
The priority of Hervé Renard, who resigned on Tuesday from his post as coach of Saudi Arabia, will be to restore calm and serenity within a France group weakened by the rebellion of several executives (Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani, Marie -Antoinette Katoto), who withdrew from the selection to protest against the management of Deacon, resulting in the dismissal of the coach.
Hervé Renard will reveal his first list on Friday for the friendly matches against Colombia, April 7 in Clermont-Ferrand, and Canada, April 11 in Le Mans, during a press conference scheduled for 12 p.m. at the headquarters of the FFF. The international future of the rebels and their possible reintegration will be at the center of the questions. We will also have to watch for the fate reserved for Lyon striker Eugénie Le Sommer or PSG goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi, long dismissed by Corinne Deacon.
A feat with Saudi Arabia
The appointment of Hervé Renard, who officiated until Tuesday at the head of Saudi Arabia, is not a surprise, the former defender being the number 1 choice of the FFF for several weeks. The Federation had mandated a commission made up of four members of its Executive Committee to interview the candidates and carry out the process of recruiting the coach of the Blue. But it has long remained suspended in negotiations between Renard and the Saudi Federation.
Things settled down on Tuesday, Hervé Renard, under contract until 2027, having finally resigned after a friendly match against Bolivia (2-1 defeat). His mission with the Saudis was above all marked by the feat achieved in the first round of the 2022 World Cup against the future world champions Argentina (2-1).