Category: France

Giroud reportedly set for LAFC move this summer

Giroud could well be linking up with France teammate Hugo Lloris in the near future

Olivier Giroud is set to be the latest big name to move from Europe to MLS.

Per The Athletic, the AC Milan striker is in the final stages of contract talks with Los Angeles FC over a summer transfer that would come once his contract with the Rossoneri expires.

Giroud, 37, would join fellow France veteran Hugo Lloris on LAFC’s roster should the move go through. The MLS summer transfer window opens on July 18, less than a week after the end of Euro 2024.

With 56 goals in 130 caps, Giroud — France’s all-time leading scorer on the men’s side — is still a pivotal player for les Bleus, and barring injury is expected to play in that tournament.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that LAFC made a formal offer in recent days, with both sides nearing an agreement.

Giroud has had a strong season in Milan, leading the line as Stefano Pioli’s first-choice striker. In 36 total appearances this season, Giroud has a team-leading 14 goals, while his nine assists are third-best on the squad.

Should the move come off, Giroud will give LAFC an out-and-out No. 9 presence that the club has lacked since Cristian “Chicho” Arango’s departure after the 2022 season. Last year, Carlos Vela largely functioned as a false No. 9; since the Mexican forward’s departure this winter, that role has gone to midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.

The club has certainly worked to keep the door open for a signing in line with Giroud, with 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner Dénis Bouanga currently LAFC’s only Designated Player. Steve Cherundolo’s side has had a history with signing prominent, aging European stars, with Gareth Bale playing a critical role in the club’s 2022 MLS Cup triumph.

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Camavinga exits France friendly with injury

It doesn’t look good for Camavinga, or for Real Madrid

Eduardo Camavinga exited a France friendly against Chile on Tuesday with an apparent injury.

The Real Madrid midfielder/defender trudged off just before halftime at the Stade Vélodrome with what appeared to be an ankle injury.

Camavinga, having removed his left shoe, slowly walked off under his own power, but was in clear discomfort as he discussed the issue with trainers in the 43rd minute. He would be replaced by Matteo Guendouzi a minute later.

Camavinga’s injury could be a major concern for Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid, who will come out of the international break with some daunting matches on the schedule.

An always-difficult match against Athletic Club is coming up on Saturday, while the club’s Champions League quarterfinal clashes with Manchester City loom on April 9 and 17.

Camavinga has been critical for Real Madrid, appearing in 32 of the club’s 41 matches this season. Ancelotti has relied on the 21-year-old both as a box-to-box presence in the midfield for los Blancos, as well as regularly deploying him at left back.

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France vs. Germany: How to watch international friendly, live stream

One of international soccer’s great rivalries will be rekindled in Lyon

One of the great rivalries in international soccer will add another chapter Saturday, as France hosts Germany at Groupama Stadium for an international friendly.

Antoine Griezmann’s stunning run of appearing in 84 straight matches for les Bleus will come to an end in the Lyon suburbs, as the Atlético Madrid attacker withdrew from the team due to an ankle injury. That has opened a door for Ousmane Dembélé, who seems favored to start up front alongside Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch France vs. Germany on FuboTV” link=”https://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1205322&subId1=PSW&subId2=Generic&subId3=2023%2F24″]

Germany will have to make do without goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who left camp after suffering an adductor injury in training.

Julian Nagelsmann has also sprung something of a surprise, dropping Leon Goretzka and Mats Hummels while calling up four uncapped field players (Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Deniz Undav, and Maximilian Beier).

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

France vs. Germany (international friendly)

  • When: Saturday, March 23
  • Where: Groupama Stadium (Décines-Charpieu, France)
  • Time: 4 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: FuboTV (WATCH NOW), ViX

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Angel City signs France, Lyon midfielder Amandine Henry

Angel City just added a serial winner in Henry

Amandine Henry is coming back to the NWSL.

The longtime France midfielder has signed with Angel City, agreeing to a three-year deal (with an option for a fourth) shortly after leaving Lyon. She will be eligible to play for Angel City once the transfer window re-opens on June 28.

“I enjoyed my previous seasons in the NWSL because of the level of play, the dedication of the fans and great teammates, so I am excited to now be a part of Angel City,” Henry, who played for the Portland Thorns in 2016 and 2017, said in a team press release. “I can’t wait to be a part of a new team, help write history, and win with the club.”

“Amandine is a player who has competed at the highest and most competitive levels,” added Angel City GM Angela Hucles Mangano. “She has led for both her club and country. Her quality of football performance and commitment to the success of our team will make her an invaluable part of our roster.”

Henry has 93 caps for France and has amassed an unreal number of winner’s medals over the years. During two spells with Lyon, she was a part of 13 different Division 1 Féminine winners, adding in seven Champions League trophies and eight Coupe de France victories. With Portland, she won the 2016 NWSL Shield and the 2017 NWSL championship.

Henry addressed her departure from Lyon in a recent Instagram post, saying that Lyon had informed her they didn’t intend to give her much playing time amid some fairly significant roster upheaval.

Experience, quality in Angel City midfield

Angel City had received some critiques for a lack of proven midfield depth in 2022 and 2023, but have moved to address that with big names. First, they signed U.S. women’s national team star Julie Ertz in April, bringing her back to the game nearly two years after initially trading for her NWSL rights during their expansion build-up.

Adding Henry to the mix will immediately give them a formidable central midfield featuring two of the biggest names in the sport, but it won’t happen right away. With Ertz presumed to be on course for a USWNT World Cup spot, the duo probably won’t be paired up long enough to build cohesion until well after the World Cup.

Henry’s status with France is also a factor here. Former coach Corinne Diacre clashed repeatedly with Henry, but was driven out after a player revolt. Henry has been locked out for some time, but with new manager Hervé Renard working to repair bridges with many established veterans — and a shortage of proven defensive midfielders in the mix — the 33-year-old could be in line for a recall.

In any case, Henry’s short-term future with Angel City will see her join a team in need of some help. Freya Coombe’s side has won just once in their last 10 matches in all competitions, suffering some particularly tough results that include dropping points in stoppage time three different times and being routed by OL Reign.

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Kylian Mbappe wished Victor Wembanyama well on his way to San Antonio

The PSG striker is ready to share the stage with another French sports superstar

Kylian Mbappé is ready to share the stage with another French sports superstar.

Mbappé was in attendance on Tuesday as the much-hyped Victor Wembanyama played his final regular-season game with Paris-based side Boulogne-Levallois.

Wembanyama, 19, is widely considered the best basketball prospect since LeBron James came into the NBA 20 years ago. At 7-foot-4, Wembanyama is nearly impossible to guard with an unheard-of combination of skills for a player his size.

Mbappé arrived just before tipoff at Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan, watching on as Wembanyama scored 22 points in a 93-85 win against Paris Basketball.

Following the game, Mbappé and Wembanyama got a chance to connect before the NBA Draft lottery that would determine where Wembanyama will play next season.

Later on Tuesday night the San Antonio Spurs were the lucky team to win the rights to the first overall pick in next month’s draft, during which they are certain to select Wembanyama.

The Spurs are a fitting destination for the newest French basketball star. Tony Parker starred for the Spurs for 17 seasons, and became the first Frenchman to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Wendie Renard is back with France after coaching change

The captain’s international exile is over

Wendie Renard has been named in France’s first roster under new coach Hervé Renard, ending the captain’s international exile.

Renard announced in February that, along with fellow France stars Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, she would be taking a step back from les Bleues amid growing dissatisfaction with the team’s direction.

Though none of the trio mentioned her by name, former France coach Corinne Diacre was widely considered to be the reason for their decision. Diacre clashed with numerous players during her tenure, which ended when she was sacked earlier this month.

If there was any doubt that Diacre was the reason the three players stepped away, that was removed on Friday when Renard returned to the roster for April friendlies against Colombia and Canada. France’s all-time leading scorer Eugenie Le Sommer, who also clashed with Diacre, was included in the squad after nearly two years away.

Diani and Katoto were not in the squad, as both are currently injured.

“Without revealing much, my message is very clear with Eugenie. She has an incomparable experience,” Renard said at a press conference one day after he was named France head coach.

“We really need her experience and her intelligence in the game. It’s been a pleasure to talk with her and I look forward to meeting her and seeing her in action.”

Hervé Renard also refused to say if he intended to reinstate Wendie Renard (no relation) as captain, saying: “I always make it a practice to let the interested parties know before anyone else.

“First I’ll have a chat with her and get the pulse of this group, but I’m looking forward to it.”

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Herve Renard, woso neophyte, takes over as France women’s manager

France is quickly moving past Corinne Diacre

France’s head coaching vacancy wasn’t open for long.

On Thursday — just three weeks after former coach Corinne Diacre was sacked amid a player revolt — the French federation announced that globetrotting coach Hervé Renard is the new manager for the women’s national team. His contract runs through August 2024, essentially through this summer’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.

Renard takes the job just 116 days before France will kick off its group F schedule against Jamaica. His first matches in charge are much closer: France will host Colombia in just eight days, and have yet to announce a squad for the match. Per the French federation, Renard will announce his first roster on Friday.

That might be complicated, too, because team captain Wendie Renard (no relation) and star attackers Kadidiato Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto had all previously said they will reject France call-ups until some unspecified changes were made by the federation. While those changes were widely believed to be related to Diacre, her unpopular tenure was hardly the FFF’s only recent problem. It’s unknown if those crucial players are ready to come back yet or not.

Federation board member Jean-Michel Aulas said that the FFF had reached out to at least one other candidate, approaching Thierry Henry only for the legendary forward to withdraw from consideration. French reports said that the federation had also considered experienced Ligue 1 coach Jocelyn Gourvennec, Diacre’s former assistant Eric Blahic, Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor, Paris Saint-Germain manager Gérard Prêcheur, and the team’s all-time record holder for appearances Sandrine Soubeyrand (who currently manages Paris FC).

Renard’s unusual path

Renard, 54, doesn’t necessarily fit the profile for the coach of one of the world’s top women’s teams. After a playing career spent largely in the French lower divisions — save for a brief spell in the top flight at AS Cannes, alongside a then-17-year-old Zinedine Zidane — he began a meandering managerial career in 1999 with lower-level French side SC Draguignan.

From there, amid a spell working for a cleaning service, Renard bounced around: lower-league football in England, a move to Vietnam club soccer, posts with four different men’s national teams in Africa, and top-flight club positions in Algeria and France.

Renard’s longest spell anywhere is the job he just left, a four-year run as the manager of Saudi Arabia’s national team. There he led the team to qualify for the 2022 men’s World Cup and amid discussion of him as the tournament’s hunkiest coach, he notably got a win over Argentina in one of the all-time great upsets in the sport.

Renard has obviously experienced a lot, but he’s also in new territory moving over to the women’s game. France — especially in the midst of so much turmoil off the field — is a different sort of role than he’s used to working in. Outside of one short run with the Ivory Coast men’s team (where, it must be said, they won the 2015 African Cup of Nations), he’s arguably never been given a post with a team that sits among the favorites in their tournament.

Renard has the reputation of being a coach you turn to when you want to punch above your weight, which is sometimes not a transferable skill-set when it comes to running the show with a more highly-touted side. If he can bring the mentality and organization that comes with that sort of approach, and bolster les Bleues‘ confidence, France might finally be ready to fulfill their potential.

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Henry turns down approach to be France women’s coach

France is looking at some big names for their women’s national team job

Credit France for thinking big when it comes to replacing Corinne Diacre.

According to Lyon owner and French federation board member Jean-Michel Aulas, he approached Thierry Henry to lead the women’s national team at this summer’s World Cup.

Board members Aulas, Marc Keller, Aline Riera and Laura Georges have been tasked by the French federation to sound out potential candidates to replace Diacre, who was fired last week after a player revolt.

While that group has sought out numerous candidates, the Arsenal legend has taken himself out of the running.

In an interview with Le Figaro, Aulas said Henry “considered it,” but ultimately opted to remove himself from the running.

“I personally asked him the question, but the response was not positive,” said Aulas. “He was obviously very flattered that he was asked. We did it because we were told he might be interested. But it will not be Thierry Henry. I think he is moving on to other projects.”

Henry was most recently an assistant coach on Roberto Martínez’s Belgium staff, and has a prominent role as a studio pundit for CBS’s Champions League coverage. Henry’s experience as a head coach has been limited to a rocky spell at Monaco (where he lasted less than four months) and one season as the head coach of what was then known as the Montréal Impact. Henry stepped down from the MLS side in February 2021, citing a desire to be able to see his children in London, something he couldn’t do at the time due to Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions.

On Thursday, ESPN reported that Henry has his eyes set on the other side of the Atlantic, with the 45-year-old apparently hoping to land the U.S. men’s national team job.

Prominent names still in the mix

The French federation hardly had all of its eggs in the Henry basket. Le Figaro‘s report says that Jocelyn Gourvennec, the former manager of the men’s teams at Guingamp, Bordeaux, and Lille, has spoken to the board about his vision for the role.

Diacre’s former assistant Eric Blahic, Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor, Paris Saint-Germain manager Gérard Prêcheur, Saudi Arabia men’s head coach Hervé Renard, and Paris FC’s Sandrine Soubeyrand — whose 198 caps make her a record holder for France — have all been in consideration as well.

Reports hold that France would like to hire a new coach as soon as possible, which is not a massive surprise given how close the World Cup is. Les Bleues have just two pre-World Cup friendlies scheduled, both of which take place in mere weeks. They host Colombia on April 6, and Canada on April 11.

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France fires head coach Corinne Diacre amid player revolt

The controversial coach clashed with many of her top players over the years

France’s striking stars have won their battle, as women’s national team head coach Corinne Diacre was fired on Thursday.

A French federation (FFF) executive committee recommended the action after a meeting, following a revolt against Diacre’s leadership by some of the French team’s biggest stars.

“This fracture has reached a point of no return which harms the interests of the national team,” the FFF said in a statement.

“Although the FFF recognizes the involvement and seriousness of Corinne Diacre and her staff in the exercise of their mission, it appears that the dysfunctions observed seem, in this context, irreversible.”

Last month, three of France’s biggest stars — Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto — all announced they would sit out this summer’s World Cup amid continuing dissatisfaction with the national team environment.

Diacre’s exit is part of a clear-out at the FFF, as president Noël Le Graët resigned last month amid allegations of sexual harassment.

Originally appointed in 2017, Diacre has clashed with a number of her top players over the years and has been accused of fostering a toxic environment with the national team.

“Winning a title with this coach seems impossible to me,” France goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi said on her international retirement in 2020. “We play in a very, very negative environment. I don’t see myself winning anything with this manager, and a lot of players think so too but don’t say it.”

Some of France’s biggest stars have been exiled under Diacre, including Amandine Henry, Eugénie Le Sommer and Gaëtane Thiney. Diacre also stripped Renard of her captaincy in 2017 before restoring the defender to the role four years later.

Renard, Diani and Katoto did not mention Diacre by name when confirming their step back from the national team, but the announcements had the unmistakable air of a revolt against the coach.

The day before she was sacked, Diacre released a defiant statement accusing her detractors of slander and lies.

With Diacre now gone, it is unclear if the trio will return to the France setup. If not, it would be a massive blow to the team’s chances of winning its first women’s World Cup this summer.

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