An essential element of OL Lyonnes, on and off the field, Selma Bacha is a real Gone. A look back at his career, his rich track record and his aspirations for the rest of his career.
“You were born in Lyon, you grew up in Lyon, you started playing football in Lyon… Tell us about your relationship with this city and this club.
OL has always been my favorite club. I was the first supporter when I was little. Playing it one day wasn’t obvious in the sense that, when you’re a child, it’s just fun. I started when I was five, I played against lots of clubs, and one day the OL boys’ coach came to see me for scouting. I was surprised! I talked about it with my father, I said to myself: “Come on, why not!” At 8 years old, you don’t think about a career, you just think about fun. Wearing this jersey was a childhood dream. But around 14–15 years old, yes, I said to myself “I want to make my career in Lyon.”
Selma Bacha’s chip
You have exceeded 200 matches with OL Lyonnes. Next, is Wendie Renard’s 500?
(Laughter) You never know what tomorrow will bring. Today, I would like to mark the history of the club, but football is evolving, there are transfers, women’s football is opening up enormously. So I don’t know, but yes, why not aim for 500! I am very comfortable in Lyon, without being closed to discovering something else either.
You already have an immense track record: what is the secret to still being hungry for titles?
I’m a competitor, a real bad loser! Whether at A, in any game or sport, I have always loved competition. Every year, everything is reset. So every year you get hungry. It’s not because we won last year that it’s necessarily a given, on the contrary: you have to prove all the time. Our first adversary is ourselves.
4
Women’s Champions League (2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022)
7
French championships (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025)
3
French Women’s Cups (2019, 2020 and 2023
2
Champions trophies (2022 and 2023)
1
title of U19 European champion, in 2019
From the outside, you might think it’s easy to win when you play for OL Lyonnes…
It’s not easy at all, on the contrary. We have to work a lot because we often face low blocks, teams who defend with 5, who close the game… Sometimes you strike, the goalkeeper stops everything, a defender saves on the line… it’s very difficult. You have to find automatisms, never rest on what you have learned.
In the club as well as in the selection, everyone talks about Selma Bacha as an important element for the atmosphere of the group. Has it always been in you?
Yes, it has always been in me. I like to give joy, to create madness, whether with family, club or selection. With age, I calm down a little… but not too much (laughter). I know the difference between the field and the outside. On the field, I am a real “lioness”, ready to fight. But I manage to disconnect.
Selma Bacha celebrates with the supporters after the victory over England during the last Euro (Zoé JEULIN / FFF)
You are part of the big family of French left-backs. How do you approach this position?
It all depends on the matches and the coach’s instructions. I play with my qualities. Sometimes I have to go up to participate in the offensives and create the surplus, sometimes I have to defend first. It’s the intensity of the match that dictates everything. And basically, I wasn’t a left side! When I started, I was a left midfielder, number 10. It was only as a professional that I became a full-back.
What have players like Sakina (Karchaoui) and Amel (Majri) brought you?
They both have different profiles: Amel is very technical, Sakina too, but it is more her movements that are incredible. I asked her how she did it and she gave me some tips on passing times for example. Now I’m getting better and better at it. They have the experience, they played in this position before me: obviously, you observe and you learn.
Selma Bacha, Amel Majri and Sakina Karchaoui in training last June (Zoé JEULIN / FFF)
What is your view on the evolution of the championship?
I’m so happy. I also extended for that: I want the championship to evolve, and well. The clubs are opening their stadiums, there are more supporters, it smells like football. There are still places where it’s struggling a little to take off, but it will come. VAR has arrived for the play-offs, that too is a good sign. We are progressing slowly, but surely. One day, we will fill the biggest stadiums regularly, I’m sure of it. »
THE PROGRAM FOR THE 11th DAY
