as Euro 2025 approaches, a new era and places to be taken in the French women's team

Among the Blues, it is still time for a squad review. Four months after the disillusionment born from the defeat in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympic Games against Brazil (0-1), Laurent Bonadei called on an expanded list of 30 players for his second gathering as coach of the French women's football team.

Since his appointment, Hervé Renard's successor has taken advantage of a series of four friendly matches to test as many female footballers as possible. “At the end of these two gatherings, I will have a broad overview of 34 players, which will allow me, with a view to the Nations League [19 février au 3 juin 2025]to make the best possible choices”he explained.

Facing Nigeria (Saturday, November 30 at 9:10 p.m., in Angers) and Spain (Tuesday, December 3 at 9 p.m., in Nice), some French executives, absent due to injury, are logically back: Sakina Karchaoui, Marie- Antoinette Katoto, Selma Bacha, Sandie Toletti and Eugénie Le Sommer. The latter, top scorer in the history of the Bleues, participated, on October 25, in the victory against Jamaica (3-0), the first match of the Bonadei era, before withdrawing from the second, a trip lost in Switzerland (2-1), four days later.

Others, sidelined to different degrees under the Renard mandate, play a bigger role. This is the case of Amel Majri, 31 years old and 71 selections, including only eight appearances under the orders of the previous coach. The Lyonnaise had only started once during the 2023 World Cup, before disappearing after the Nations League final lost to Spain in February 2024 (2-0).

Amel Majri “is not afraid”

Already absent between September 2021 and April 2023 due to a serious knee injury, then following maternity leave, Majri hopes to permanently renew the thread of her history with the France team. “I’m very happy to be back. If I had the pressure, I wouldn't have come. That doesn't scare me. I tell myself that I have the opportunity to show my qualities again”she explains to Monde.

Skills that this skillful ball handler details: “I am known for my technical qualities, my good footing, my dribbling and also my sense of finishing. I can associate perfectly with the girls around me. »

When she is in good physical shape, her profile brings diversity to a collective which sometimes lacks technical accuracy. As Laurent Bonadei recalled, “Amel is a player with a lot of talent and technical qualities. It was better that she was at 100% of her means to give him a real chance.”

The offensive player, who has scored two goals in OL's last three matches, dismisses questions linked to her age. “When you underperform at 30, people quickly judge that you are finished. While at 27, there are as many poor performances as at 30she asserts. I can run as much as a 25 year old girl…”

“A new beginning” for Melvine Malard

At 24, Melvine Malard experienced the Corinne Diacre period, with which she started in September 2020, before taking a starting place in attack during the quarter-finals and semi-finals of Euro 2022. During the Hervé Renard era, his French career was put on pause, with the exception of 36 minutes of play against Portugal, in December 2023.

“After a break of a year, it’s a new start for menotes the Manchester United striker (22 caps). Today, I take what I can take, I am very happy to be part of a new team with new staff. »

Trained in Lyon, Malard established herself last season in England, even scoring the first goal in the history of the Red Devils in the Women's Champions League. With her club, she also won the FA Women's Cup against Tottenham, in front of nearly 80,000 supporters.

“In the English championship, you are in much greater demand, it’s very intense and athletic”confides the one who says she is ready to “put on the warm-up blue for the team. » The Reunion Islander is aware that she will be “observed” and that she must “showing up in every practice and every game. »

Because with a new coach, the cards are reshuffled. Ousted at the last moment from the Blue list for Paris 2024, Clara Mateo also considers the arrival of Laurent Bonadei “like a new stage. » Since the start of the season, the versatile Paris FC striker has taken on another dimension.

Positioned in the center, she occupies the head of the ranking of top scorers in Division 1 (10 goals in 9 championship days). “I experienced a big disappointment after my non-selection for the Olympics. I took time to digest and reboost myselfshe says. I don't know if it's revenge, but I'm growing from it. »

Against Nigeria and especially Spain, world champion, Clara Mateo, Amel Majri, Melvine Malard and the others will want to prove that they deserve their place among the Blues. “I am starting this season with the ambition of being present at the Euro”insists Mateo. The 2025 edition of the European Championship will take place from July 2 to 27, in Switzerland.