Some executives of the French women’s football team have experienced difficult times in recent months. Depression for Amandine Henry and mourning for Kenza Dali.
Hervé Renard’s Bleues have another meeting this Tuesday with the League of Nations. First in their group, Wendie Renard’s partners face the Portuguese bottom team (7:15 p.m.), with the intention of rounding off their campaign in this group phase in style. They will be able to count in particular on Amandine Henry and Kenza Dali, two players who experienced some mental difficulties not so long ago.
During two separate interviews given to The Team, the French internationals addressed the problems they had to face. Kenza Dali, for her part, spoke about the aftermath of the 2023 World Cup and her two missed shots on goal. “ I cut everything off. Even with my family. We want to protect them. I wanted to experience grief personally. (That) of a World Cup, of a shot on goal, of a team. » Victim of insults on the internet after her two failures which contributed to the exit of the Bleues in the quarter-finals, Kenza Dali admitted that she would have to learn to live with it.
An unforgettable double failure
“ I know that in fifty years I will say: ‘me, I missed a double shot on goal‘. And that’s how. All the people who missed penalties on decisive moments, thirty years later, they still talk about it. It’s part of me, you have to accept it. » Complicated moments to live through mentally for the midfielder who was obviously not the only one to have to struggle in this regard on the Blue side. For other reasons, Amandine Henry was not at the party during the last months of her career. If she has found a smile again in recent weeks, she was also at the bottom of the wave at a time before the last World Cup.
“ It’s true that things have changed a lot, between my long absence from the French team, then the return in June with the confidence of Hervé Renard, unfortunately followed by this injury which deprived me of the World Cup. » A roller coaster that also took place in his club career. “ I had to digest my difficult departure from OL and my return to the United States. It was all a huge emotional lift. »And Amandine Henry talks about the depression she had to face. “ I was lucky to be very well surrounded (…), but I also called on a mental trainer so as not to sink. (…) I could no longer move forward, I was feeling gloomy.“
Fortunately, and as for Kenza Dali, everything is now much better for Amandine Henry, determined to take advantage of the time she has left at the highest level. “ All I need is a title with the French team and I will be the happiest in the world. » Why not next summer during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
