Europe 1 with AFP 22:08 p.m., March 16, 2023

Selection seeks breeder. Without a leader on the bench since the sacking of Corinne Diacre, the women's France team is looking for a new coach before the World Cup to be held this summer in Australia and New Zealand.

Targets with high-profile names, few declared candidates and information in dribs and drabs, punctuated the recruitment process at the head of the women's France team, before an epilogue hoped for quickly to turn the page Corinne Diacre. The clock is ticking for the French Football Federation and the special commission charged by the interim president, Philippe Diallo, to proceed "within eight to ten days" to the hearings of the candidates for the succession of Deacon, landed on March 9.

"It's progressing well. We have finished our preliminary consultations, we are in the choice, I think, by tomorrow evening (Friday)", launched Thursday the president of OL Jean-Michel Aulas, member of the quartet tasked to find the rare pearl, to the daily Le Figaro. For several days, more or less credible hypotheses have flourished in the press thanks to indiscretions distilled by federal sources or entourages of applicants. The most flashy name is that of Hervé Renard, rarely a prophet in his country (Sochaux, Lille) but whose international stature, acquired on the bench of Morocco (2016-2019) and Saudi Arabia (since 2019), gives him undeniable credit.

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Henry, false hope

If he ticks the "charisma" box wanted by Aulas, the technician is under contract until 2027 with the "Green Hawks", with a salary in Riyadh ten times higher than that received by Deacon, according to estimates. More far-fetched, the track leading to Thierry Henry was closed by Aulas who recognized an approach, declined by the 1998 world champion and now star consultant for several channels.

These two profiles had the advantage of bringing a "people" touch to a team of France shaken for several years by the reputed austere management of Diacre, finally swept away by the rebellion in the form of defection of Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, the three most emblematic players of the squad. Les Bleues have been severely shaken and now aspire to more serenity, three weeks before their next match, a friendly on April 7 in Clermont against Colombia, and four months before the World Cup in Australia (July 20-August 20).

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"Trust in the Federation"

"I trust the Federation, I think they are the best placed to take the best steps for us to go solid to the World Cup," Sakina Karchaoui (54 caps) told AFP on Thursday. The left-back of Les Bleues could soon lose her coach at Paris SG, Gérard Prêcheur, placed among the favorites to lead the Blues.

"If tomorrow he is in the candidates, I will not blame him, it is a position to take, it is a dream for all coaches," added the former Lyonnaise, unstoppable so far in selection.

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A Gourvennec-Blahic ticket?

A renowned trainer in women's football, who played on the OL bench (2014-2017) and arrived at PSG in the summer of 2022, Prêcheur is perhaps weighed down by his club experience, where his proximity to some players can hinder others. On this level, "I am a little above the fray," said Sonia Haziraj, former coach of the under-19s and under-20s. On Thursday, however, the only candidate to have publicly declared herself had not been auditioned, or even contacted.

According to a federal source, the Federation has however been attentive to the project defended by Jocelyn Gourvennec, the former coach of Guingamp and Bordeaux, free of any commitment since his sidelining of Lille in 2022. The former Breton midfielder could form a complementary ticket with Eric Blahic, one of his former assistants, appreciated by the French dressing room when he officiated as Corinne Diacre's number two (2020-2021).

Sonia Bompastor and Camille Abily, also mentioned as a possible recourse, seem to be excluded from the application process after extending, Thursday, their contracts with Lyon until 2025. In the end, the ball will return anyway in the hands of Philippe Diallo, announced back in Paris on Friday after his trip to the FIFA Congress in Kigali (Rwanda).