Women’s football: Deacon does not summon Le Sommer or Henry among the Blue, ten months before the Euro

Published on : 09/09/2021 – 14:40

Tensions within the women’s football team continue. The coach of the Bleues, Corinne Deacon, announced Thursday, September 9 her list of players for the start of qualifying for the World Cup-2023 in September: neither her former captain Amandine Henry (31 years old) nor Eugénie Le Sommer (32 years), yet the top scorer in the history of the France team.

The Olympique Lyonnais midfielder and the striker, on loan until December to OL Reign (the American franchise of the Rhone club), do not appear in the group selected for the next trips to Greece and Slovenia, a strong decision to ten months of the Euro (which will be held from July 6 to 31, 2022) that the Blue will play.

Henry’s absence is a semi-surprise, as relations with Deacon have deteriorated since last fall.

The midfielder “is part of the enlarged group” of 25 players of the France team, “it is a decision at the moment T”, was justified Deacon Thursday at a press conference.

The Lyonnaise with 93 selections, not selected in October 2020 for “sporting reasons”, then publicly criticized the management considered brutal of the coach. She certainly recalled her in November, but depriving her of the captain’s armband during a period marked by strong tensions.

Injured in February, tested positive for Covid-19 in April, Henry had not been selected in June by Deacon in view of his “last performances” in club, according to the boss of the Blue.

Sommer was also not present in June for the friendly against Germany, but due to an injury. Since then, the striker has been loaned six months to OL Reign, a Lyon franchise located in the United States.

“The fact that she is in the United States has not at all influenced my choice of the moment, my choice of the day”, qualified Deacon.

With 175 selections, the center-forward is the fifth most capped Frenchwoman in history. She also holds the record for goals scored in the French jersey, with 86 units.

Group selected to face Greece and Slovenia, on September 17 and 21, in qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup:

Guardians: Mylène Chavas (Dijon), Solène Durand (Guigamp), Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Juventus Turin)

Defenders: Elisa de Almeida (Paris SG), Sakina Karchaoui (Paris SG), Perle Morroni (Lyon), Eve Perisset (Bordeaux), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Marion Torrent (Montpellier), Aissatou Tounkara (Atletico Madrid)

Environments : Charlotte Bilbault (Bordeaux), Kenza Dali (Everton / ENG), Grace Geyoro (Paris SG), Léa Khélifi (Dijon), Ella Palis (Bordeaux), Sandie Toletti (Levante / ESP)

Attackers: Viviane Asseyi (Bayern Munich / GER), Sandy Baltimore (Paris SG), Kessya Bussy (Reims), Delphine Cascarino (Lyon), Kadidiatou Diani (Paris SG), Valéry Gauvin (Everton / ENG), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris SG) ), Melvine Malard (Lyon), Amel Majri (Lyon)

With AFP