The coach of the French team Hervé Renard is banking on “competition” between the players to boost his team towards the Olympic Games, and before that against Norway in the Nations League on Friday (9:00 p.m.) in Oslo.
For the Olympics this summer in Paris, Hervé Renard will have to rely on 18 players, a tighter list than at the World Cup and in the Nations League. For the trip to Norway on Friday then the reception of these same Norwegians on Tuesday in Reims (9:00 p.m.), he called on 24 players.
“We have to keep a line of conduct, we cannot change completely at each gathering,” explained Hervé Renard last Thursday when announcing his list.
For the Olympics, Hervé Renard says he informs those interested before each gathering begins: “I tell them that there will inevitably be some disappointed people. A selection is not something normal, we have duties, we must have an exceptional state of mind and prove each time. The truth of the month of October may not be that of next month,” he assured.
“This challenges everyone”
While relying on senior players like Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer, Kadidiatou Diani, the technician is banking on this “competition” to raise the level and cohesion of his group.
This is particularly the case for the guard position.
Disappointing in her kicking game in Australia, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin – whose withdrawal was announced on Wednesday due to a slight knee sprain – paid the price for this requirement.
Last September upon returning from the World Cup, Hervé Renard had no qualms about changing the hierarchy of the position, appointing PSG goalkeeper Constance Picaud as No.1.
“Constance (Picaud) gave us satisfaction during the last meeting, so we can consider that today she is number 1. Now she must win,” said the coach.
“She must demonstrate it even more, she was up to the task during the two confrontations in September, there is no reason for her to be called into question against Norway.”
For this gathering, he chose not to recall defender Ève Périsset, although selected in Oceania: “A player like Ève could be part of it but she is not playing with Chelsea at the moment, I preferred not to put in the list,” he detailed.
“It’s not pressure”
“Having competition challenges everyone because we want to be at the top, which shows the quality of the group,” rejoiced midfielder Amandine Henry, who replayed her first minutes with the Blues in September .
Same tone for Montpellier defender Maëlle Lakrar, injured during the World Cup and who is returning from a torn thigh: “competition is not pressure, it’s what makes you progress in football” he said. -she insists.
“You never know what tomorrow will bring and sitting in an armchair and not working, that only makes you regress,” added the player, who became a starter at the World Cup in Australia, in the center alongside Wendie Renard or on the side.
Against Norway – who must do without several executives including Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen and Guro Reiten – the objective for the Blue is to win the double confrontation to “finish first in the group” and “win the League of Nations”. A first trophy before the objective of the Olympics.
“We are on a good dynamic, the World Cup was good, it could have been better, the Nations League has started well, we must continue in this vein and prepare well for the most important event in 2024, the Games », Supported the coach.
