A curse cannot be overcome just like that, with the wave of a magic wand.
Eliminated five times in a row from a large international competition in the quarterfinals, the French team has made it (very) tense experience on Saturday evening against the Netherlands.
A post, two saves on the line from the same Dutch player, an opposing goalkeeper in a state of grace and, in the end, 32 shots for a single small goal scored, on a penalty converted by Ève Périsset in extra time (1-0) .
For a long time, the lack of offensive realism of the blue raised fears the worst, namely yet another disillusionment at this stage of the competition.
Until this issue of the 102nd minute.
Late, but oh so precious.
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“This group went to look for something important
, analyzed Corinne Deacon afterwards.
He could have let go, because he gave a lot, tried a lot, and what I liked was that he didn't let go.
He continued to insist on keeping the game plan fixed, each remained in its place.
We really see that we work with a group, the players who entered brought a lot.
They absolutely did not weaken the team, quite the contrary
.
With, as a symbol of the words
of the French coach, the title of player of the match awarded to Selma Bacha, 21, who entered the hour of play and who knew how to bring her nerve and the enthusiasm of her youth to allow its partners to break this glass ceiling which paralyzed them.
Wednesday, a major obstacle
Relieved, freed from a weight, the Bleues can now aspire to live a dream final at Wembley on July 31st.
But before that, a major obstacle will stand in their way on Wednesday, around 9 p.m., in a stadium in Milton Keynes which they are about to discover after having succeeded so well in Rotherham.
Namely Germany and its eight European crowns, an absolute record, and by far.
Except that the Germans, after having reigned as empresses on women's football for two decades (1990-2000), experienced a hole after their Olympic coronation in 2016, their last title to date.
But, since the start of this Euro, they seem on the right track to rise from their ashes.
Unless irreducible Gauloises…
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“In the locker room, there were tears of joy, it was madness
, confided Selma Bacha at the microphone of TF1 on Saturday evening.
In this quarter, it was played on the mind and solidarity, it will be the same in the semi-finals.
Germany is a big team, we will have to recover well and prepare for it
.
”
A happiness commensurate with the frustration engendered by these ten years spent bumping into the obstacle of the quarter-finals.
Mentally, this past course could have changed a lot for French women who will no longer hear the refrain of questions revolving around these repeated failures.
Breaking the Dutch lock could also mean having blown a psychological padlock.
Kadidiatou Diani herself admitted that
“the curse has been broken.
We did something huge.”
That should now be confirmed in the semi-finals, because, as captain Wendie Renard rightly said before challenging the Netherlands:
"I don't think it's an end in itself to get through the quarters."
For the Blues, it should only be one step.
Strong.
Founder.
Liberator.
But a simple step on the way to a potential first major international title after which this French team has been chasing for so long.