Expected to be Hervé Renard’s successor since the announcement of the latter’s departure by The TeamLaurent Bonadei was officially appointed coach of the French women’s team, and at the same time Gérard Baticle was in charge of the French women’s team.

Born in Marseille, but adopted by Toulon after his family moved during his childhood, Bonadei had a modest career as a professional player. He was born under the colors of Grenoble or Wasquehal, but also had three seasons at Sporting Toulon (1994-97), which ended with a return to the National Championship in 1996. A family affair that led the club to the race for the President of his son, Angelo Bonadei, during the 70s and 80s. After 14 seasons in the trades, the environment of the field marked a new training career for the men of the youth of OGC Nice in 2003.

Hervé Renard’s loyal assistant

Nice, Nancy, Paris Saint-Germain… The new CV selection is four references in the youth equipment. It is with Hervé Renard that he begins to be alongside the observers. The trainer and the future assistant met when they were both still professional players. Their paths crossed at the beginning of the 90s, within the Stade de Vallauris which was playing at the time in National and where the two friends played together for two seasons (1991-93) before Bonadei left… for Toulon.

The complexity of the moments when the player turns into working binoculars, from the other side of the field. Laurent Bonadei designed Hervé Renard’s assistant for a few years with the Angolan selection (July 2010 to October 2010), before the real joint adventure began in 2019 on the Saudi Arabian side. With the Falcons, the two men played in the 2022 World Cup where they won the first match against the future world champions Argentina (1-2).

The professional romance will then take them to the French women’s team, after the dismissal of Corinne Diacre in March 2023 following the withdrawal of several executives from the selection who could no longer stand the direction exercised by the former Clermont coach. With a courageous heart for the two Olympic athletes, Hervé Renard announced last March that he was not allowed to participate in his son’s adventure of contrast, leaving the place vacant. After the defeat in the last quarter of the match against Brazil (0-1), the Renard’s division was officially announced on the 6th day of the FFF.

The FFF is banking on continuity

« I thank the Federation for the trust it has placed in me. I am proud and honoured. Leading the national team is a great responsibility that I take seriously and with commitment. I am continuing the work accomplished by Hervé Renard, with whom I have worked closely during these 17 months with the French Women’s Team. »assured Laurent Bonadei after the appointment was made official. The one who has always been in the shadows is now propelled to coach No. 1 and not to just any position: that of coach of the French women’s team.

A choice by the Federation that is banking on continuity after the troubles experienced under the Diacre era, or that is hiding its lack of ambition by imagining the easy solution. For the president of the FFF, Philippe Diallo: « We wanted to have a coach who knows the French team and women’s (Site notre bureau spécialisé), with a wealth of experience, high standards and a sense of training. It is in this spirit that we decided to entrust the selection to Laurent Bonadei. Les Bleues have important sporting objectives, in particular Euro 2025 in Switzerland and then the 2027 World Cup. I have confidence in Laurent Bonadei to achieve them and must be the spearhead of the major Federal ambition to develop women’s (Site notre bureau spécialisé). »

After two quarter-final eliminations at the 2023 World Cup against Australia (0-0, 7-6 on penalties) and Brazil (0-1) during the Olympic Games under the Renard mandate, Laurent Bonadei will have the difficult task of trying to bring back a first title with the French women’s team with Euro 2025 in Switzerland next summer in his sights. The new director of the selection will play his first matches with the Bleues and the Provençales Sakina Karchaoui and Maelle Lakrar at the end of October with two friendly matches (the opponents have not yet been revealed) at the end of October, while Hervé Renard will want to explore new horizons but without his faithful assistant.