Since Monday April 3, the French women’s football team has 26 players, a new coach… and a baby. On Wednesday, as Les Bleues prepare to honor their first media obligations since the enthronement of Hervé Renard, visitors come across a stroller in the alleys of the castle of Clairefontaine (Yvelines).
Inside, a nine-month-old girl, who is none other than the child of Amel Majri, tricolor international with 66 capes, back in selection after a serious knee injury in October 2021 and childbirth, so , in July 2022. Maryam Majri is the first “baby of Clairefontaine”. Never before has a player attended an international gathering with her offspring.
If Hervé Renard welcomed progress, the initiative predates his arrival at the head of the group. In fact, her predecessor Corinne Deacon was also in favor of it. In February, during the Tournoi de France, goalkeeper Manon Heil was offered this possibility by the French Football Federation (FFF), but she declined it. “Every case is different. Me, I’m breastfeeding. I couldn’t have not taken him, I needed to have him close. The fact that she is there reassures me, ”explains Amel Majri in an interview with L’Equipe.
At a press conference on Monday, Hervé Renard pleaded for this exceptional situation to become the norm. “I think it’s essential to give structure to players who have young children. It’s hard to leave your very young child like that,” he said.
“In the biggest international teams like the United States, a lot of things are organized about it. France is a little behind. Maybe one day we will find ourselves with four or five toddlers among us. And as long as everything is well organized in a perfect structure, there is no problem…”
The father of four daughters, the 50-year-old naturally supports footballing mothers. “I put myself in their shoes. I don’t think it can harm anyone in a group. Psychologically, this is of paramount importance. The door has just been opened. »
Device renewed for the World Cup
The system provides for the presence of a nanny alongside the French team throughout the rally: from Clairefontaine to trips to Clermont-Ferrand and Le Mans for upcoming matches against Colombia and Canada. “Everything is taken care of” by the FFF, Amel Majri told Agence France-Presse.
“When I have training and group time, it’s the nanny who takes care of it, she has her room next door, explains the player. And when I have time off, I can enjoy my daughter. She is in the moments when she is crawling, so I don’t really want to miss them. To live is a very beautiful experience. I try to film to send to the dad: he is the one who is a little sad not to have it. The presence of little Maryam does not bother her teammates in the least. On the contrary: many of them come to nurse.
“Coach reassured me and said, ‘We’ll do everything to make sure you’re in the best condition.’ We feel that in his speech, he wants us to be fully invested. That we have nothing to worry about, ”rejoices Amel Majri.
The system will be renewed for the World Cup (July 20 to August 20) in Australia, where the French could spend more than forty days including part of their preparation. It could even be expanded, like the daycare centers set up by other selections.