EXCLUSIVE - Corinne Deacon: "I don't make an emotional list"

Colin Abgrall 10:15 p.m., May 29, 2022, amended at 10:16 p.m., May 29, 2022

EXCLUSIVE

As the Women's Euro opens on July 6 in England, Corinne Deacon, coach of the Blues, gave an exclusive interview to Europe 1. While she will announce her list of players selected for the competition tomorrow, she returns to her responsibilities, on the evolution of the France team but also of the other selections and on the strong choices she made as coach of the team.

A fascinating interview with one of those who shape the French football landscape.

On the course of the Bleues until today: "We learned lessons"

"Our failure at the World Cup (in the quarter-finals against the United States, 2-1) weighed on us a bit, even if the president did not want to talk about failure. But we did not reach the objective that we had set ourselves. Now, we have been able to learn lessons from this competition to continue to move forward and develop this French team. And I think that today, we are giving off a good image and what we were able to create around these young people whom we inspired, mixed with a few experienced players who bring all their knowledge and all their performances. It creates great emulation and a great French team."

On the Women's Euro: "We have the ambition to play the final"

"We have the ambition to play the final on July 31. So indeed, we will need good results against Italy, Belgium and Iceland, that's undeniable. Now, be careful because women's football is changing very well everywhere and that all the nations which could be a little behind at a certain time are working very well today. Many federations have put resources in place, have changed their development policy and there are many successful European nations. which I think will cause problems next summer."

What are the differences with the other generations of the French women's team?

“We asked ourselves questions”

"In 2019, we made a bet with my staff to stay in continuity and on experience. We arrived in 2017, so we had a year and a half to prepare for the World Cup and we had made this choice of stability, to keep experienced players. We know the result, so that led us to ask ourselves questions and to take stock of this competition. Our youth teams have continued to perform and we have young people who apply with the France A team, are doing very well. It's always difficult to integrate just one young person here and there. The advantage we have is that we have integrated three, four or five who perform well in their clubs, who also perform well with us in the France team and above all who bring freshness to the group.So that feels good."

On the evolution of the European championships: "I do not think that we are regressing"

"Faster than France, I don't know, but in any case, they are progressing. I don't think the French women's championship is regressing. Afterwards, there are more or less rapid developments. Maybe we, we is on a plateau today. But regressing, no. It is true that other countries are progressing very well. Afterwards, everything depends on the financial means that we have.

On the list of players participating in the Euro: "We will be in continuity"

Of course.

We will be in continuity."

On the choices she made to exclude certain players: "I don't make an emotional list"

"It's part of my job to make choices. We also know very well that we can take ten people and there will be ten different lists. I can't make an emotional list. I have to make a list of performances and to think of an ensemble. You can't just think of one or two individuals. So yes, the difficulty is making choices. But afterwards, once the choices are made, they have to be assume. And that's what I did."

Is Kheira Hamraoui still selectable?

"It seems difficult"

"I am attentive to everything that is happening. We know the situation within PSG. It is true that Kheira is no longer playing today. So it may seem difficult to have him on the list tomorrow."