Corinne Diacre remains the only woman to have coached a professional team in France. And one of the few to have the famous BEFP.
Thanked by the French Football Federation after the putsch launched by Wendie Renard last January, Corinne Diacre ultimately did not take advantage of the off-season to return to the sidelines. Last winter, however, some had mentioned contacts with certain Ligue 2 teams. A championship that the former Blue coach knows well since she officiated for three seasons at the head of Clermont (2014-2017).
His results at the head of the Auvergne club, including a 7e place during the 2015-16 season, are sufficiently convincing for France Football to name her best coach in Ligue 2 in 2015. However, Corinne Diacre remains a pioneer. No other woman has sat on the bench of a professional club since. The choice is certainly limited since there are only four of them to have the BEPF, the famous Professional Football Coach’s Certificate, necessary to supervise a team playing in Ligue 1, Ligue 2 and National 1.
In addition to Corinne Diacre, Sarah M’Barek, Sonia Haziraj and Elisabeth Loisel also have the required diploma. While waiting for Sandrine Soubeyrand, who will be part of the 2023-2024 class alongside Didier Digard, Fabrice Abriel or Bryan Bergounoux. Interviewed in L’Equipe, Hubert Fournier, the DTN of the French Federation is opposed to the idea of establishing quotas. “I refuse to work on quotas. Those who came to these training courses were auditioned in the same way as the boys and, if they were there, it was because they had the capacity. For people to reach the top of the pyramid, we need to build a base with a number of quality supervisors, he explained. And the best ones will rise. For the moment, our pyramid is a little fragile at its base and this does not allow us to regularly have bridgeheads which will go to the BEFF or BEPF. It’s a difficulty. »
