French football's most senior administrators are expected on Tuesday to decide whether to back the women's team coach Corinne Diacre in the face of a player revolt led by the former team skipper Wendie Renard.
Renard, who has featured 142 times for France, announced her retirement from the national squad on Friday.
The 32-year-old said she needed to withdraw from the international set up to maintain her mental health.
In the wake of the shock announcement, two more players Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto also said they wanted to quit the squad.
Bosses at the Fédération française de football (FFF) -– which runs the national teams – acknowledged the moves in a statement which ostensibly supported Diacre and her staff.
"The FFF would like to recall that no individuality is above the institution of the French team," a statement said.
"The FFF has taken note of the statements of Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto."
The following day, the defender Perle Morroni joined Renard, Diani and Katoto.
Open secret
Their departure five months before the women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is likely to underline the lax approach of FFF executives to an issue that has been an open secret for several years.
Diacre's fate will be discussed during a meeting of the FFF's executive committee – known as the Comex – which will also wrangle over the future of the president Noël Le Graët.
The 81-year-old has been under pressure since a radio interview last month in which he adopted a condescending tone towards the former France international Zinedine Zidane.
Though Le Graët apologised, the gaffe unleashed a flood of questions over his suitability for such a prestigious post. He stepped aside while a government audit into the FFF was completed.
Toxic culture
That report documented a toxic management culture at the FFF in which employees were ritually humiliated in open meetings and senior executives traded often sexist invectives. The decisions taken during Le Graët's terms as president also came under scrutiny.
Diacre rose to prominence in 2014 when she was chosen to lead the second division outfit Clermont Foot 63. She took the club to mid table in her first season and stayed until was appointed boss of the France team in 2017.
The side's 2019 World Cup campaign ended in the last eight where they were beaten by the eventual champions the United States.
But soon after the tournament, reports emerged of problems with star striker Eugénie Le Sommer as well as Renard. Goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi announced her retirement in 2020 citing problems with the team's management.
After reaching the last four at the European champions in July 2022, Diacre's contract was extended until August 2024 to take in the World Cup as well as the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
For all the apparent strife, the women's team has performed better under Diacre than the seven previous coaches.
