The captaincy of Wendie Renard, announced the day before to everyone's surprise, opened with a festival of goals against Greece (10-0), Friday in Patras, in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, a welcome performance for the team of France after tormented months. Bright orange armband on the left arm, the multi-titled defender of Olympique Lyonnais enjoyed her first Marseillaise as captain of the Tricolores under the Deacon era in the privacy of the Pampeloponnisiako stadium, in front of some 150 spectators and in a postcard setting . And she ended this evening without a hitch with a successful penalty in added time. "
It's a good conclusion at the start of the internship,
" smiled the 31-year-old Martinique. "
The circle is complete
", s'Corinne Deacon is also amused.
Sun and blue sky above heads, mountainous massif and sea of oil in the background: the serenity of the place inspired the Bleues who did not have to force their return to succeed, well helped by the weak opposition of 'a Greek team relegated to 64th place in the Fifa rankings. The coach had focused her early preparation on "
offensive principles
And his players gave him an exemplary copy, at least before the break by inflicting a scathing 7-0. The Lyonnaise Amel Majri launched the assault by dribbling the Greek goalkeeper after a subtle control in the race (14th) and many people took part in the party afterwards: Viviane Asseyi (65th), Grace Geyoro (15th, 40th), Kadidiatou Diani (38th) and Marie-Antoinette Katoto (18th, 25th, 52nd), for his first hat-trick at 22 in the blue jersey.
To find traces of such a river score, there is no need to go back far in time. In December 2020, the French had outclassed the very modest Kazakhstan team (12-0), two goals from the national record. But the atmosphere was far from being so relaxed in the cold and the night of Vannes, the Bleues then being shaken by the multiple tensions between the coach and her fallen captain, Amandine Henry. The OL midfielder attended the match from the stand, sitting among the substitutes next to ... Renard. Since then, Henry has moved further away from the selection, both for his athletic performance and because of the competition, according to the coach. Deacon on the other hand promoted Renard captain for the Euro scheduled for July 2022 in England,after removing his armband at the start of his term four years ago. The affair had caused a stir at the time, blurred the relationship between the two women and contributed to the gloomy atmosphere in selection.
“Wendie is a natural leader, whether in the France team or in his club.
She shows the way to young people, she is an example ”
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
This spectacular turnaround, made public Thursday in Patras, “
was unexpected given our relationship, our liabilities.
But she came to offer it to me, I matured the reflection.
I especially accepted compared to the France group
", reacted after the meeting the Lyonnaise, happy to have"
the support of everyone
"in the locker room.
"
It did us all good, I think it was seen tonight
", echoed Katoto, praising Renard: "
Wendie is a natural leader, whether in the France team or in his club.
She shows the way to young people, she is an example
". Ten months before the Euro, the season is in any case launched on a good basis. Tuesday in Slovenia, the Blue will have the opportunity to continue this good dynamic against an opponent still far from his standing.