Morocco coach Reynald Pedros challenges the French team in the round of 16 of the World Cup and finds many players he managed at OL. However, it was the Lyon executives who had pushed Jean-Michel Aulas to change coach.
For a surprise, it’s a hell of a surprise. First in their Women’s World Cup group in Australia and New Zealand, after successes against Brazil and Panama, Hervé Renard’s France team expected a terrible shock against Germany, a powerful team who dominated her in the semi-finals of the Euro a year ago. It will finally be Morocco in the round of 16, Tuesday (1 p.m. French time, on M6).
For its first participation in a World Cup, the Moroccans created the event by snatching 2nd place from their pool after a success against Colombia on Thursday. A certain Reynald Pedros has been at the head of the Atlas Lionesses since November 2020 and he is not just anyone for the Blues: he was the coach of OL women from 2017 to 2019 and won two D1 and as many Champions League.
Pedros’ picks misunderstood
Before being in conflict with Corinne Deacon, their coach in selection, the Lyon executives asked their president, Jean-Michel Aulas, not to renew the former attacking midfielder of FC Nantes, even before the end of the 2018 season. 2019. ” Some girls, executives of the group, felt that Pedros was no longer making the team progress. Some of his choices weren’t understood “, then explained a close friend of the team to the Parisian at the time.
The Lyonnaises were then led by French internationals Sarah Bouhaddi, Wendie Renard, Amandine Henry and Eugénie Le Sommer, as well as their star scorer Ada Hegerberg (29 goals that season, including a hat-trick in the C1 final against Barça). Pedros also directed Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, Kenza Dali and Selma Bacha, now holders at Les Bleues.
