Choice time. Coach Corinne Deacon is preparing to reveal the identity of the 23 Blue women selected for the Women’s Euro in England (July 6-31), Monday at midday on TF1, a list with largely established outlines and no big surprises expected . The boss of the France team, guest of 1 p.m., will list their names during the television news, before holding a press conference in Boulogne-Billancourt from the premises of the private channel, co-broadcaster of the tournament on French screens with Channel .
The suspense remains very limited around the tricolor group, which Deacon has shaped by hand for several months by injecting ambitious young shoots, under the tutelage of the most experienced Wendie Renard, Grace Geyoro, Sandie Toletti, Kadidiatou Diani or Marie-Antoinette Katoto , the scorer N.1. There will be “no big surprise”, she had also recognized in mid-April after the last match against Slovenia at Le Mans, the end of a season with eleven victories in as many matches.
The return of Kheira Hamraoui in February had revived speculation around his future in selection, but his international horizon has since been blocked in large widths. “It is true that today it is very complicated within PSG and that, as you have just said, she no longer plays”, replied Deacon on May 20 during an interview with the AFP, however reserving its decision for the day of the list announcement.
The 32-year-old defensive midfielder, violently attacked at the beginning of November by two strangers – facts that have not yet been elucidated – fell out with several locker room executives, in particular Diani and Katoto, who suspect her of having directed the investigators towards their entourage. She hasn’t played with Paris since an altercation in training at the end of April. Les Bleues will have to do without the services of the ex-Barcelona, ??with a unique profile and undeniable experience, and this gives hope to younger people, like Bordeaux’s Ella Pallis who should be traveling to England. In the same position, the flame of hope also went out for Amandine Henry, even if the Lyonnaise did everything to keep her going on the pitch.
A return to Les Bleues, “as long as I play football I will believe it”, assured the best player in the Champions League final, won on May 21 against Barça. A cohabitation with Deacon, which she publicly criticized in the fall of 2020, however, appears impossible. Her teammate Eugénie Le Sommer, top scorer in the history of Les Bleues (86 goals) but rarely a starter at OL, also risks staying at the dock.
In attack, this configuration benefits Ouleymata Sarr. The Paris FC player, who returned to Les Bleues in February after a year and a half of absence, clung to it in April after the package from Melvine Malard who, like her, should be retained. With the package of goalkeeper Solène Durand, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin’s usual understudy, Messina Justine Lerond, D2 player but holder with the under-23 selection, starts on pole to warm up the bench with Mylène Chavas.
Deacon will now cross his fingers so that Sunday’s PSG-OL shock (0-1) does not leave too many traces. The Lyonnaises Bacha and Delphine Cascarino were replaced in the second half like the Parisian Katoto, who left with a grimace. Deacon has planned to establish a list of reservists in case of a hard blow. “It will be off, a pact that I will make with the player, whom I will call personally,” she told AFP ten days ago.
His list of “23” must be sent no later than June 26 at 11:59 p.m. It will then be possible to replace a player up to 24 hours before the first match, in the event of injury or a positive test for Covid-19. Les Bleues will launch their Euro against Italy on July 10 with the hope of offering French women’s football the first title in history, three weeks later, in the final at Wembley.
