What are the objectives that you have set for the two French Olympic teams, men's and women's?
Philippe Diallo:
I told Hervé Renard, the women's coach, and Thierry Henry, the boys' coach, that we had to be at least on the podium.
It is an ambitious objective because the Games are here and because we are clear-minded about the quality of our teams.
France, for several years, has been established in the elite of international football, whether for boys or girls.
I saw that Thierry Henry expressed an even greater ambition.
I want to join him because when we enter the field, it is to win and so from there, the ambition is perhaps to also be on the highest step of the podium.
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Hervé Renard's players did not achieve the objectives that you had set this summer, during the World Cup. Have you reviewed this competition with him?
Yes and it has not escaped your notice that before this World Cup, there had been a lot of changes in the team, starting with the coach.
There is obviously frustration at having been eliminated in the quarter-finals, without having lost a match.
But having spent three weeks with the team during this World Cup, I saw a lot of professionalism, a unity between the players and the staff.
It brings hope.
The quality is there and I tell myself that with all this, we will succeed in winning the title that we have all been waiting for for years, in women's football.
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Have you discussed an extension of Hervé Renard's contract which ends after the Olympics?
Hervé joined us last year with an extremely clear roadmap marked by two major events, the World Cup and the Olympic Games.
We want to put the team and Hervé in the best conditions to achieve their objectives.
We will see what happens at the time of the Olympic Games.
At the end, it will then be time to take stock with him.
You are not sure among the boys to see the best players released by their club, the Olympic tournament not falling within the Fifa dates...
It is a constraint that we have known for a long time.
Last spring, I spoke for the first time in front of professional clubs to tell them that the Olympic Games are once a century in France and that we have a form of duty towards French sport and towards -towards the nation, to have the best possible team and obtain a medal.
Have you obtained guarantees from the clubs so that they will release their players?
Awareness work continues.
But, without revealing who, some have already let me know that if one of their players was selected, they would not oppose his selection because they are well aware that it is an issue that goes beyond that of the Federation.
What we want to avoid is what happened in Tokyo.
It was a disaster.
For the coach who didn't have the team he could have hoped for.
Today, I want to do everything to have the best possible team for the Olympics in Paris next July.
Have you also spoken with foreign clubs where selectable players play?
There will be later action on my part, because today, I do not know which players will be selected by Thierry Henry.
To be effective, you will need to have a precise list of players.
Including those who play in foreign clubs.
Would you like Kilian Mbappé, who expressed his wish, to be part of this Olympic team?
I want the best possible team.
With three players over the age limit, this opens up a fairly wide range of players who are likely to participate in these Olympics.
Did you talk about it with Mbappé?
I talked about it with him and with others and what I can tell you is that if we didn't have these scheduling problems, we would be spoiled for choice, because a lot of players want to participate.