"I love France more than anything (...) but I can no longer endorse the current system, far from the requirements required by the highest level", wrote on social networks the defender of Lyon, who has 142 selections with the Blues.
"It is a sad but necessary day to preserve my mental health. It is with a heavy heart that I come by this message to inform you of my decision to take a step back with the French team. Unfortunately, I will not be doing this World Cup in such conditions. My face can hide the pain but the heart is in pain... and I don't want to suffer anymore", developed the 32-year-old player in a message posted on Instagram and Twitter .
This announcement is a thunderclap for French women's football, just five months from a World Cup where Les Bleues hope to win their first international title.
Unlucky semi-finalists at the Euro last summer, the French have had several mixed months since the start of the season, with in particular two significant defeats in October in Germany (2-1) and Sweden (3-0), two competing for the planetary title.
Led by Renard, Les Bleues have timidly raised their heads by winning the Tournoi de France in recent days, a friendly event, against nations deemed weaker: Denmark (1-0), Uruguay (5-1) and Norway (0-0).
If she does not clearly specify the reasons for her departure, Renard opens a new chapter in her complex relationship with coach Corinne Deacon, who removed the captain's armband from the Martiniquaise on her arrival in 2017, before returning it to her in September. 2021.
In recent days, Renard had for example recognized that it was complicated to embark on the experimentation of a new tactical system because of the lack of "time" in selection, going against the choices of Corinne Deacon, who she assumed a "workforce review" and multiple "trials" a few months before the World Cup.
Deacon has also long dismissed former emblematic players who are partners of Renard in Lyon, such as Eugénie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry.
© 2023 AFP