"Light the flame!", Le Parisien gets carried away, offering its front page to Blues who "believe in their destiny". "A dream in summer", headlines the sports newspaper L'Equipe, seduced by a group "rejuvenated since the 2019 World Cup and united as never", and which is "no longer afraid of anything".
Having broken the glass ceiling of the quarter-finals, on which the French have been smashing for a decade, will not have been of much use if they were to stumble in Milton Keynes, terminus or springboard of their absolute dream.
This semi-final, "it will only represent something if you win the trophy", launched Renard, the last survivor of the epic of the 2012 Olympics. "Whether I lose in quarters or halves, it doesn't change anything at all" because in the history books, "we only talk about the winners".
In the event of qualification, the Habs will still have to dominate England to go to the end. The Lionesses gave a lesson in efficiency to the Swedes (4-0) in the first semi-final on Tuesday.
So here are the Bleues at the foot of the wall before entering the lawn of the MK Stadium, a modern enclosure with 29,200 black seats, with a capacity three times higher than the small New York stadium in Rotherham, where they had taken their bearings and their momentum.
"Of course it adds excitement, he is beautiful", appreciated Renard. "Since the start of the competition, we have always been in the minority in the stadium, for the moment it smiles on us well", slipped the multi-titled defender of OL, captain with a record of honor still virgin in selection.
- Drive away the bad memories -
Before dreaming of a first title, France will have to sublimate themselves and stop wasting their attack ammunition, as numerous as they are vain against the Netherlands on Saturday in the quarterfinals (1-0 a.p.).
Because if sparks sprung from the tricolor engine against the outgoing champions, with 33 shots and 10 corners on the French side, Kadidiatou Diani's partners stalled in the finish until the penalty obtained by the PSG striker in overtime.
"My players have no doubts, they are confident and also aware of what they failed to do in terms of efficiency in the last match", replied Corinne Deacon to the press on Tuesday, preferring to underline "the mental " of his group, "extraordinary".
The coach was able to count on the contribution of her replacements, such as Clara Mateo and Selma Bacha, symbols of a new look France team with an offensive and attractive style.
Enough to cast out the demons of the past? Their predecessors broke their teeth in the two semi-finals played so far in competition, at the 2011 World Cup and at the 2012 Olympics. And they also failed against the Germans in the quarterfinals of the 2015 World Cup...
- "No complex" -
"We have often spoken of German superiority, but there is no complex to have," evacuated Renard. "We are in the semi-finals, it will be difficult, a fight. They are not happy to play us too, I think".
The Frauen-Nationalmannschaft, escorted by its glorious past (an Olympic gold medal, two World Cups and eight Euro titles, a record), has impressed since the start of the European Championship with four victories, eleven goals scored and no cashed.
The team led by Martina Voss-Tecklenburg can count on experienced players such as former Parisian midfielder Sara Däbritz or striker Alexandra Popp, ultra-efficient at this Euro, as on her "bottle class" with Lena Oberdorf and Giulia Gwinn.
Winger Klara Bühl, 21 and sparkling in the quarterfinals, is on the other hand forfeited after a positive test for Covid-19.
Wednesday will be "50/50" between France and Germany, judged Voss-Tecklenburg. "The small details will be decisive, each team will try to make the other make mistakes".
Every mistake risks paying cash, Wednesday in Milton Keynes. Solidity will probably be the key to gaining access to Wembley, the legendary temple of English football.
