It is yet another huge disappointment for French women’s football, with the elimination of Les Bleues in the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, this Saturday at La Beaujoire, against a Brazil team that had never dominated this French team in 12 previous games.
As in the last three World Cups, as in the 2016 Rio Olympics, the quarter-final stage was fatal for Hervé Renard’s players, the man who had nevertheless arrived on the bench in spring 2023 with the mission of going for an Olympic medal 15 months later.
With all the more regrets for the French women as they had the opportunities to make the difference, with two posts being hit in particular and above all a penalty not converted by Sakina Karchaoui at the start of the match (16e). When the Brazilians showed realism to find the fault in the last minutes, through Gabi Portilho (82e).
Renard confirms his departure
” We don’t deserve to lose, we were better in the game but that’s footballDelphine Cascarino was blowing hot on France TV. The public supported us but it didn’t happen tonight, we are disappointed. “The same bitterness from Captain Wendie Renard: ” It’s a disappointment not to go and get the medal at home, it’s hard, when you see this public… They (Brazilian women, editor’s note) did everything to break the rhythm but that’s part of the game, and we didn’t manage to take our chances… it’s frustrating. »
Hervé Renard for his part confirmed his departure from the French selection. On a new failure, therefore. The girls played the game they needed to, they were enterprising and had chances. There are nights like this when things don’t work out. We’re just missing that little something that we haven’t managed to get yet, like last year at the World Cup. It’s not a fair reward given the way the game went, but we have to swallow our disappointment and keep going, that’s football, we have to keep going. It’s a shame that it ended abruptly like this, for the staff, for everyone who worked hard within this team. We weren’t here to stop in the quarter-finals. We have to bounce back now. »
