“No matter how hard we work on them…”: France and penalties, the curse continues

“It’s still a lottery story.” Jean-Luc Vannuchi, like Didier Deschamps before him, brought the subject back to the table. Defeated this Saturday on penalties in the final of the U17 World Cup by Germany (2-2, 4-3 tab), the Bleuets coach cited bad luck to explain the defeat of his team in this cruel exercise. In any case, its players have just conceded a second defeat in a row on penalties after a setback in the Euro U17 final against the same Germans.

“This is the second time in a row. The goalkeeper makes saves in front. Are these penalties taken poorly or saved well? I don’t know. It’s still a lottery story. No matter how hard we work on them, it’s difficult,” lamented the coach of the France team.

Bis then repeated. But the problem is precisely that it is not only bis repetita. Losing on penalties has even become a French specialty. Although this tradition may make the French Loose Federation laugh, it is terrible for French supporters, whether among young people, among women or among men. The Bleuets U17 therefore suffered the consequences twice in the same year in the final of the Euro and the World Cup, even if they also faced Senegal in the round of 16 (0-0, 5-3 tab).

“Everything needs work, especially at this age”

Before them, still in 2023, Hervé Renard’s players lost in the quarter-finals of the World Cup against Australia during an unbreathable session (0-0, 6-7 tab). The French women’s team already had three other notable defeats on penalties on its record since the beginning of the 2000s: Quarter-finals of Euro 2009, quarter-finals of Euro 2013 and quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup. .

For men, it’s worse. The A have not had a victory after the final whistle of an extension since 1998. Results: three failures (World Cup 2006, Euro 2021, World Cup 2022) including two in the World Cup final. France’s last victory on penalties dates back to 1998. At the time, Aimé Jacquet’s men eliminated Italy in the quarter-finals after a save by Fabien Barthez on a shot by Demetrio Albertini and a missed shot by Luigio Di Biagio. A time that those under 20 cannot experience.

But above all an evil which proliferates in all blue-white-red selections. The fault of a lack of work in the exercise on the goalkeeper side as well as on the shooters side? “Everything in life has to be worked on, especially at that age,” Pascal Olmeta answers. Without targeting a particular lack of exercise these days, the former international goalkeeper remains nostalgic for the “goalkeeper coaches” who knew how to generate “our beautiful generations of goalkeepers”.

Because the worst in this cruel setback this Saturday afternoon perhaps remains the great performance of Paul Argney in the cages, author of two decisive saves. If Fabien Barthez and Hugo Lloris, who between them had conceded 14 consecutive shots on goal and could be singled out, the Le Havre goalkeeper has little to reproach himself for. Because even with a great goalkeeper in goal, France cannot do it.

From there to seeing it as a curse that can weigh on each future session? “The only problem is to trust all our educators again and find all the specific work as we have always known how to do,” retorts Pascal Olmeta. Even in the club, your legs shake. Demonstration last August with the elimination of Marseille in the preliminary phase of the Champions League against Panathinaikos. With each lost session, the old demons gain ground with only one question in mind: whose turn is it to lose on penalties?