Q: Returning to the France team after two years of absence, did you see it coming?

A: "Not at all. If I had been told that ten days ago, I wouldn't necessarily have believed it. But that's how life is. I didn't expect it, but I'm very happy and very proud."

Q: When did you believe it again?

A: "From the moment there is a new coach, I tell myself that the cards are redistributed. But from there to seeing his name in the list, there is a long way. It was in the back of my mind, but I expected things so much in the past that I didn't expect anything. I know very well that disappointment is even more difficult when you expect a lot. So it was a bit of a weird feeling. (In recent months), I had almost made a reason, even if there was always this little hope. It was probably to protect myself that I functioned like this."

Q: Not only are you coming back, but with vice-captaincy status. How to digest this transition?

A: "It's true that it was very fast. On Friday, I saw my name in the list and I felt like I was called for my first selection... And on Monday, the coach named me vice-captain. I accepted the challenge, I will try to respond and return the trust he has given me. Of course, you have to get back into it quickly. But I'm not going to reinvent myself."

Q: The new coach Hervé Renard is counting on your experience. Will your role go beyond the field?

A: "We have a fairly young group. Maybe he lacked a little experience, I think he wanted to put a little bit back. I necessarily have this role to accompany the youngest, to help the team with my experience to better approach competitions or matches."

Q: It took a major sling for the coaching staff to change into a team of France. Have you thought about raising your voice?

A: "It's hard to talk about a slingshot. Of course there were problems, even if it is quite damaging to have reached this point. Even if I was no longer in the national team, I don't want to see a team of France suffer like that. But I know that if we got to this point, it was because it was necessary. Maybe that was what was needed to get things done. In any case, today, we are starting again on a new dynamic and a new project."

Q: But don't you have the impression that Les Bleues have lost time in recent years?

A: "We don't know. We know we can't remake history. Now time will tell if all this will have served any purpose or not."

Q: In a few days, have you seen the difference between the methods of Corinne Diacre and Hervé Renard?

A: "What I remember from the first days is the sun, the smiles, the good mood. We feel a lot of enthusiasm in the team. The staff has grown too. There are more people, more skills. I already knew what type of coach he was and it's true that he is very much in communication. He manages to convey what he wants. I hope he will bring us a lot of things."

Q: Was the appeasement immediate?

A: "From what I felt, yes."

Q: You have already reached a World Cup semi-final in 2011. Do you see further at the World Cup this summer (July 20-August 20)?

A: "When you are the France, when you have already been part of the top three nations in the world, you are not there by chance. And when we have this quality in our squad, yes, we must have a high objective. But we know that it is not enough to write names on a piece of paper. We must also be able to play together, to play well, or to play less well sometimes but to win. Because what's really going to matter is the end result."

Interview by Antoine MAIGNAN and Phoebe LANZER WOOD.

© 2023 AFP