MY ACCOUNT
France enter Women’s Euro 2022 third in the FIFA rankings and will expect to progress beyond the quarter-finals for the first time.
Pitted against Italy, Belgium and Iceland in Group D of this summer’s tournament, we take a look at Les Bleues’ chances of success.
Head Coach — Corinne Diacre
Corinne Diacre became the first woman to coach a professional men’s football team in a competitive match in France with Clermont in 2014 and joined the national team in 2017.
Her reign has been marred with controversies, in which she has been questioned over her team selections and blamed by the players for her coaching style.
In her 2019 World Cup squad, notable absentees included Kheira Hamraoui and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the latter being Paris Saint-Germain’s top scorer that season with 22 goals.
After her departure from Clermont, her former players compared her coaching style to that of a ‘dictator’, while further criticism followed in October 2020 when she did not call up captain Amandine Henry for two Euro 2022 qualifiers.
Her five years at the helm of the national team have been plagued by disapproval and she certainly has an uphill battle on her hands to finally unite the squad and lead them to their first title.
Captain — Wendie Renard
Wendie Renard is one of the most decorated women in club football with 14 league titles and seven European cups at Lyon, where she has spent her entire career.
Despite being a centre-back, she has pace, is technically gifted and is an effective set-piece taker.
Renard has sensationally scored over 100 goals in her domestic career and has found the net 33 times in 131 caps for the national team.
Discussing Renard’s influence on the game, former coach Farid Benstiti said: “Wendie Renard has truly been the most consistent player and defender of the last 15 years.
“Her desire to succeed is what made her what she is today. For me, she is the best defender, and maybe the best player in the world.
“It’s only when she retires that people will realize that it will be very, very difficult to replace her.”
The 31-year-old became the first woman to make 100 appearances in the Champions League this month and France will hope that her vast experience and winning mentality will help lead the 2019 World Cup quarter-finalists to glory.
Star Player — Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Once a hotly-tipped teenager, 23-year-old PSG forward Katoto is certainly living up to expectations for both club and country.
After manager Diacre left her out of the 2019 World Cup squad, Katoto has since proved she can perform for the national team and has bagged 19 goals in her last 15 appearances.
Katoto has produced jaw-dropping numbers in her domestic career so far bringing up over a century of strikes in eight seasons in the French capital, since making her debut aged just 17.
One to watch — Sakina Karchaoui
Katoto’s club team-mate Sakina Karchaoui also lived up to the rising star label when she burst on to the scene with Montpellier, where she made her debut almost a decade ago aged 16.
The 26-year-old is known for her defensive prowess and crossing ability and offers an attacking threat down the flank, having previously played as a midfielder early on in her career.
Karchaoui’s rise saw her move to Lyon in 2020 before joining PSG at the start of this season.
The full-back has been a regular starter for the national team, having earned 47 caps and will be crucial in France’s build-up from the back.
France’s Women’s Euro 2022 fixtures
July 10: France vs Italy, 8pm, New York Stadium
July 14: France vs Belgium, 8pm, New York Stadium
July 18: Iceland vs France, 8pm, New York Stadium
