Amandine Henry not included in France squad for Euro 2022
By Ali Rampling
Amandine Henry has not been included in France's squad for Euro 2022, a little over a week after she inspired Lyon to a stunning Champions League final victory over Barcelona.
Les Bleus boss Corinne Diacre named her squad for this summer's tournament on Monday, with France's all-time top scorer Eugenie Le Sommer also omitted.
Henry - who has been capped 93 times by France - turned in a player of the match performance and scored a fabulous long distance effort as Lyon ran out 3-1 winners over Barcelona to wrestle back their Champions League title.
However, she has not featured for her country since she started a 3-0 European Championship qualifier victory over Austria back in November 2020, having had a handful of public disagreements with Diacre.
The 32-year-old captained France at the 2019 World Cup, but later criticised the atmosphere created by Diacre at the tournament.
"I saw players crying in their rooms," she recalled. "I personally cried in my room sometimes. I wanted to enjoy the World Cup, but in the end, it was total chaos."
Henry was also critical about the manner in which she was controversially left out of the France squad in October 2020 - a decision that drew criticism from teammates Wendie Renard, and Amel Majri.
"The call (informing me I was dropped) lasted 14 or 15 seconds," Henry said.
"I will remember it for the rest of my life. I was shocked. She said: 'Amandine, you know my list comes out tomorrow. You won't be on it in light of your recent performances.' I was silent for two seconds. And then I said: 'Okay. Have a good game. Goodbye'," Henry said.
Diacre has history when it comes to major tournament selection controversies, having not picked Marie-Antoinette Katoto for the 2019 World Cup, despite the forward finishing as the Division One Feminine top scorer during the 2018/19 season. She has also seen her coaching and communication style criticised by Renard, Megan Rapinoe and Gaetane Thiney.
France are in Group D at Euro 2022 alongside Belgium, Iceland and Italy.
Les Bleus have boasted one of the strongest national teams squads for the past decade, fuelled by the domestic success of Lyon, but they have consistently underperformed on the international stage and have never progressed past the quarter finals at the World Cup or European Championships.
France Euro 2022 squad
Goalkeepers: Mylene Chavas (Bordeaux), Justine Lerond (Metz), Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Juventus Turin).
Defenders: Selma Bacha (Lyon), Hawa Cissoko (West Ham), Sakina Karchaoui (Paris Saint-Germain), Griedge Mbock (Lyon), Eve Perisset (Bordeaux), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Marion Torrent (Montpellier), Aïssatou Tounkara (Atletico de Madrid).
Midfielders: Charlotte Bilbault (Bordeaux), Kenza Dali (Everton), Grace Geyoro (Paris Saint-Germain), Ella Palis (Bordeaux), Sandie Toletti (Levante).
Forwards: Sandy Baltimore (Paris Saint-Germain), Delphine Cascarino (Lyon), Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain), Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain) , Melvine Malard (Lyon), Clara Matéo (Paris FC), Ouleymata Sarr (Paris FC).