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France-England: "I cannot imagine a team which is not united", affirms Eugénie Le Sommer

2021-04-08T12:52:59.493Z


The Lyon striker, top scorer in the history of the France team, opposed this Friday to England in a friendly match, sweeps his


She is the only Lyonnaise present on this gathering of the Blue after the packages of her teammates Amandine Henry, Sakina Karchaoui, Wendie Renard, Delphine Cascarino and Amel Majri, all tested positive for Covid-19.

The prolific Eugenie Le Sommer (86 goals), 31, had already contracted the virus in February and tested negative on Tuesday, after seven days of isolation.

She is speaking before this preparatory match for Euro 2022, this Friday in Caen in front of England.

Tipped, particularly because of her experience, to wear the armband in Henry's absence, she could however leave the captaincy to Montpellier Marion Torrent.

Your president Jean-Michel Aulas did not want the Lyonnaises to come to the France team (Henry and Karchaoui had been selected last week when the Rhone club was facing several cases of Covid-19).

Did you understand his approach?

EUGENIE THE SOMMER.

It is always an honor and a pride to be called upon by Les Bleues.

Afterwards, I also understand the president's position.

Both camps are defending their interests.

Unfortunately for us at the club, these cases come at the worst time of the season and this will overload the schedule for the next few weeks.

I hope that all the players will be available for our big deadlines by the end of the season.

How do you feel about being the top scorer in Les Bleues history?

I am aware with hindsight of this record.

It is a pride to mark the history of the French women's team.

When I arrived in selection in 2009, I did not imagine at all to arrive there.

Through hard work, perseverance and consistency, I am always present by blending into the collective because I am not just a goal scorer.

Is your goal to reach 100 goals and 200 caps?

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It is achievable even if I do not set a goal.

It would be nice to also beat the selection record of Sandrine Soubeyrand (198) but there is still some way

(Editor's note: she has 174)

.

I especially want to continue to be called and bring a title to this team.

I won everything in club and nothing in selection.

What do you need to be at the level of the American world champions that you will face next Tuesday?

A little experience in order to better negotiate the decisive matches in major competitions.

A state of mind too.

The Americans consider the club less than the selection, while on our side we put both at the same level.

Can we go very far in a competition if things don't go well between players and a coach?

To succeed in a competition, you need a certain cohesion between the players and the staff.

Maybe that's what we've missed in the past.

I cannot imagine a team that is not united.

We all have to be turned in the same direction.

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Are tensions eased with the coach Corinne Deacon?

We said what we had to say.

We want to perform well on the pitch, because that's the most important thing.

We will see in the future who was right or wrong.

We want to move forward.

I don't know if everything is settled but we did what was necessary to be heard.

Speaking of Les Bleues, FFF president Noël Le Graët said: “They can pull their hair out, I don't care.

»What did you think of this sexist saying?

It is a sentence dedicated to interpretation.

I did not take it badly.

It is his freedom of expression even if I am not sure that it is the bottom of his thought.

Like I told you before, I don't design a team when everyone isn't shooting in the same direction.

In a club, the fight is intense with PSG ...

They've been neck and neck with us for 3-4 years, even though we've always been ahead except this year.

This team has progressed.

We would like to play this kind of match every week.

Will it be harder to beat PSG in D1 or C1?

I do not know.

We obtained a good result in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League

(Editor's note: 1-0 away victory)

but we will have to be vigilant in order to keep this advantage in the score to qualify.

We have already seen it with the boys, you can get eliminated after a 4-0 success in the first leg (PSG against Barcelona in 2017).

In the league, the title will be played on the confrontation of the return match (PSG is the leader with a head start), the date of which is not yet known.

You are five times title-holders in the Champions League.

Is there no weariness?

No.

We have learned to win and we no longer want to experience defeat.

Being behind PSG in the league motivates us, we tell ourselves that we are missing something and we do not want to give up our title.

Lyon has always been ahead since 2007.

Do the players decide on the name of the coach in Lyon?

(Laughs)

Not at all!

It would be bad to know the president to think that even if in the past he has already asked the players how they feel in the locker room.

We give an opinion and then he takes it or not.

It has worked pretty well for him so far.

Have you already programmed your end clap?

It's very French to think that we are finished after having passed the 30 years.

I have a goal of at least going until the 2024 Olympics. I will see where my head and my body take me.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-04-08

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