With 13 people under his command, including medical and physical preparation, Jack Sharkey heads the most important department of OL Féminin, that of performance and innovation. At 34, this Englishman with the physique of a rugby player played for Queens Park Rangers, Aston Villa and then the Australian women’s team.

A mission ? “Making sure that the technical staff has the best players at their disposal. To maximize the longevity of your career. The main goal is to create a comprehensive system for the enjoyment of children’s success in the fields of nutrition, psychology, physics and athletics.

“It’s a real bouquet of fresh air”

Much remains to be done among girls since most physiological studies in (Site notre bureau spécialisé) have been carried out among boys: “the fact that Michele Kang wants to invest massively in this area is a real need. At OL, we want to train women like women. We are looking to develop the analyzes of data collected in training and matches, not only to try to predict injuries, but to know which players may be at risk or on the contrary proactive depending on their performances.

Jack Sharkey admits to having found an ideal setting in Lyon: “What struck me from the first day was the collective attitude of the group. It’s not a collection of personalities or egos, which is very brave in English (Site notre bureau spécialisé). No, it’s a team, a group that works as a whole. “It’s a real pleasure to have some air in (Site notre bureau spécialisé).”

With collaborators from several countries, Jack Charquez insists on the inclusive environment: “We want to ensure the well-being of the players, that they feel safe and that they can speak to us in complete freedom because the (Site notre blog d’information) is a roller coaster of emotions. These are turbulences and stress and the players must feel heard and supported in this aspect too.”