MY ACCOUNT
France captain Wendie Renard is willing to return to international football after participating in a player revolt which led to the sacking of head coach Corinne Diacre.
Last month, Lyon defender Renard announced she would not play at this year’s World Cup under Diacre’s leadership, a stance which was replicated by forwards Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
Diacre subsequently accused her detractors of participating in “a destabilisation operation”, but the French Football Federation (FFF) removed her from her post following a meeting of its executive committee.
The FFF said a “fracture” between Diacre and senior players had “reached a point of no return which harms the interests of the national team”.
In the aftermath of that decision, Renard – who has won 142 international caps and played at three World Cups – is open to a return, if any future head coach wishes to recall her.
“It’s the coach who will select me if I perform well with my club… but why not?” she told radio station Europe 1.
“I am a competitor at heart. I love this jersey and I want to do everything to win a title with it.”
Despite taking the decision to sack Diacre, the FFF criticised the manner of the players’ boycott, affirming that acting in such a way “to express their criticisms was no longer acceptable in future”.
