There has been underlying tension between some France players and manager Corinne Diacre for a number of years, which came to a head last month when several stars, including captain Wendie Renard, said they would no longer represent their country.
Renard criticised the France “system” and was joined in a boycott by team-mates Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani, who said the “management” was behind her decision.
Diacre called it a “smear campaign”, but was unable to prevent the French Football Federation (FFF) from bringing to an end her turbulent six-year reign.
Announcing her sacking last week, the FFF said the situation was “irreversible”.
There has long been fractious relationships between Diacre and several senior players because of her aggressive management style.
In 2017, Diacre stripped Renard of the France captaincy. In 2019, she left Katoto out of the World Cup squad. In 2020, Amandine Henry – Diacre’s captain in 2019 – was dropped after the midfielder claimed it was “total chaos” in camp.
Support for Diacre appeared to be split among the squad, but there was a united frustration at
