In view of the Women’s World Cup, which takes place this summer in Australia and New Zealand, Hervé Renard has called up 26 players. But he will have to reduce his list to 23 and inevitably it will hurt.
The role of national coach is not always easy, especially when it is necessary to warn players at the last moment that they will not participate in a world competition. On May 22, 1998, in secret at Clairefontaine, and at the end of the evening, Aimé Jacquet had brought six players (Lionel Letizi, Ibrahim Ba, Martin Djetou, Nicolas Anelka, Sabri Lamouchi and Pierre Laigle) to tell them that they were leaving the group and would not play the World Cup finally won by France at home. The coach then admitted having experienced one of the worst moments of his career.
This kind of scenario will obviously not be identical, but by summoning 26 players instead of 23 to prepare for the Women’s World Cup, Hervé Renard will also have to make the misfortune of three international tricolors. Present at a press conference on Monday, the coach of the French women’s team already assumes this choice and the effects that it will generate. He even knows when the three players will be informed that they will have to leave their teammates.
23 Blue and not 26 for the 2023 World Cup
End of the first week of preparation with a smile 😀 🙌 #ProudToBeBlues pic.twitter.com/bi5VKsGq06
— French Women’s Team (@equipedefranceF) June 24, 2023
A decision that Hervé Renard will certainly not take lightly. ” You have to see things in a positive light. Was it better not to be selected or is it better to be in a group of 26 and have a chance to finish in the 23 for a competition? I know the decision won’t be easy, but it’s part of football. When will I decide? It’s quite simple since when we are going to play in Ireland on July 6, it’s a preparation match, you are entitled to 6 changes and 23 players on the match sheet. Inevitably, even if the 26 players make the trips, if there are 3 of them in the stands, they will have understood, even if I will tell them before of course “Explained the coach of the French women’s team, knowing that the final list for the 2023 World Cup must be sent to FIFA before the first match, which for the Blue will be July 23 in Sydney against Jamaica.
