At the head of the Bleues since 2007, Corinne Deacon is no longer the coach of the French women’s team since this Thursday, March 9. The first Frenchwoman to coach men was initially criticized by Wendie Renard, the captain, who wanted to withdraw from the France team.
The French Football Federation met this Thursday, March 9 with on the agenda the situation of the French women’s team and the future of its coach Corinne Deacon, let go by her three star players. Corinne Deacon, criticized by Wendie Fox, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the three most emblematic players in the squad, who dispute the methods and management put in place since her arrival in 2017, have been dismissed. ” Dismissed as coach of the French women’s football team “, announced the Federation after a meeting of its executive committee four and a half months before the World Cup. His contract was due to end after the 2024 Olympics.
” The numerous hearings carried out made it possible to establish the observation of a very significant divide with executive players and highlighted a discrepancy with the requirements of the very high level. This fracture has reached a point of no return which harms the interests of the selection “, explained the Federation in the press release.
deacon denounced ” destabilization operation
The day before, the 48-year-old coach had ended her silence through a press release, refusing to give up control four and a half months before the World Cup. “ In view of the shameful media outburst of recent days, I nevertheless wish to publicly reaffirm (…) that I am fully determined to carry out my mission and, above all, to bring honor to France at the next World Cup this summer in Australia (July 20-August 20), Deacon said. In this text, she denounces a destabilization operation” and “a smear campaign that astounds with its violence and dishonesty “.
Players from the French women’s team are ” arrived at a point of no return “in their relations with Corinne Deacon, had explained Kadidiatou Diani, one of the executives breaking with the coach, in the Téléfoot program on TF1. The Paris Saint-Germain striker had called for a change of coach: ” It’s important to have something new, the girls simply can’t take it anymore. The French Federation must take steps, we have raised a cry of alarm. »
This Thursday, the executive committee of the Federation, where Deacon was not invited, first heard the recommendations of a special commission set up eight days ago to ” take stock of the current situation “. Four members of the government ” of the FFF, Jean-Michel Aulas, Laura Georges, Aline Riera and Marc Keller, have conducted auditions in recent days, soliciting in particular several players from the selection. Deacon herself was auditioned on Tuesday March 7 for nearly two hours, according to her lawyer Christophe Ayela.
Dropped by its three most emblematic players, weakened by mixed results and deprived of the historic support of the former president Noel Le Graetthe coach of the France team Corinne Deacon will not see the 2023 World Cup.