Rarely has the French women's team been so talked about... Too bad for Les Bleues and more generally for women's football, whether for the wrong reasons. After a revolt started by Wendie Renard and followed by several executives, the coach of the Blue Corinne Deacon was in the hot seat less than five months before the next World Cup, co-organized by Australia and New Zealand.
Despite her desire to stay against all odds, the 48-year-old coach was dismissed by her Federation on Thursday March 9, faced with a situation that had become untenable. Back to five and a half eventful years on the bench of the Blue.
Becoming the first woman to coach in France at the professional level on the Clermont side, Corinne Deacon stabilized the Auvergne club in Ligue 2, even obtaining the title of best coach of the championship in 2015 by France Football. But already at that time, the former defender stood out for her strong management and lack of compromise. “In training, we all had to have the same matching socks, Anthony Lippini told So Foot in 2020, for example. Long or short, usually, everyone does what they want. There, it was no longer the case and that did not please everyone […] When you go in his direction, you have his confidence. But as soon as you start getting between her and her goals, she won't hesitate to fire you for the good of her group. »
Propelled to the head of the Blue in August 2017, Corinne Deacon will never deviate from this course or even from her convictions. With her, the French women's team aims to finally win a major title: World Cup, Euro or Olympic Games. The organization of the World Cup at home in 2019 is the perfect opportunity to achieve this. But despite enthusiasm in the stadiums and a competitive team, Gaëtane Thiney and her teammates failed in the quarter-finals against the United States, which deprived them of the Tokyo Olympics. Behind the scenes, it all comes crashing down from there.
Several executives of the Bleues are stepping up to point the finger at the management of Corinne Deacon, but also her choices on the ground. Amandine Henry, emblematic player of OL, looks back on this heavy atmosphere under the direction of the matriarch Deacon after her non-selection in October 2020: "I saw girls crying in their room during the World Cup, I cried in my bedroom. It was total chaos. Some girls don't dare to speak, there is fear. I understand them. I'm 31, I'm a captain. If I don't talk, who will talk? “ she explains to Canal .
Since this episode, Amandine Henry has never been called up to the France team again, and in turn, Eugénie Le Sommer, Sarah Bouhaddi and Gaëtane Thiney announce that they too are giving up on the selection as long as Deacon is in place. . The fault, according to them, to a very cold communication, illegible tactics and above all, an increasingly heavy atmosphere when they go to Clairefontaine. On the pitch, the Blues are too often messy and even appear lost. With the energy of despair, the three-way defense recently attempted by Corinne Deacon did not convince either.
Even if some executives remained welded together during the last Euro organized in England, with an elimination for the Blue in the semi-finals, the point of no return is definitely reached. After her statement in which she expressed her desire to "preserve her mental health", Wendie Renard was followed by several of her teammates, including Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani. An unprecedented slingshot in its scale, which shows how much the France team has become an anxiety-provoking environment in recent years.
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With the ousting of Noël Le Graët as president of the FFF, Corinne Deacon has undoubtedly lost her biggest support within the institution. Isolated in the storm, her departure should finally mean a lull for a French women's team that badly needed it. Despite herself, Corinne Deacon has been the symbol of a federation that has never taken the time to listen to its players and to carry out its self-criticism. For the players, it will quickly be necessary to heal its wounds and turn to the World Cup 2023, organized next July. But at least Hurricane Deacon is behind them.
