Sacked France women's team boss Diacre in line for 900,000 euro pay-off

Corinne Diacre, who was sacked from her post as head coach of the France women's football team following a walk-out of senior players over her management style, will receive almost 900,000 euros in compensation, it emerged on Tuesday.

Corinne Diacre took over as head coach of France's women's team in 2017. Just after last summer's European championships, she signed a new deal to lead the team at the World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games. AFP/Archives

The Fédération française de Football (FFF) dismissed the 48-year-old following a review of her coaching methods.

The assessment was launched after France skipper Wendie Renard said in February that she was leaving the international set-up in order to preserve her mental health.

The veteran defender's sudden withdrawal from the squad five months before the start of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand created shockwaves throughout the sport.

Kadidiatou Diani, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Perle Morroni followed the 32-year-old Lyon defender out of the international door.

On Tuesday, Diacre's lawyer, Christophe Ayela, confirmed she would receive 870,000 euros in severance pay.

Deal

The sum amounts to the remaining salary due on her contract plus an extra year's pay, as well as a percentage of bonuses that she would have been in line to receive if France were to win the World Cup or the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"Corinne Diacre is relieved at this agreement which allows her to turn the page and look towards new projects in football," Ayela told the French news agency AFP.

"The agreement shows the respect that is due for the results she achieved with France," he added.

Diacre shot to prominence in 2014 when she took over at the Ligue 2 outfit Clermont-Ferrand to become the first woman to coach a men's professional team.

Her stay at Clermont-Ferrand ended at the start of the 2017/18 season when she was appointed boss of France's women's team.

She steered the national side to the last eight at the 2019 World Cup where they were beaten by the United States who went on to lift the crown. At last year's European championships in England, France lost to Germany in the semi-final.

On 31 March, the FFF anointed the Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard as Diacre's replacement.

The 54-year-old Frenchman, who has won the Africa Cup of Nations with Zambia and Cote d'Ivoire's men's teams, will lead the squad at the World Cup and at next year's Paris Olympics.