Bronze 'shocked' by Renard's France omission

ZURICH -- Lucy Bronze was shocked by Wendie Renard's omission from the France squad and said she wishes her former OL Lyonnes teammate was playing on Saturday in their Euro 2025 opener so England could face the best possible version of this French side.

Bronze will face plenty of familiar faces on Saturday when England kick off their bid to reclaim their European Championship crown. Bronze played for Lyonnes from 2017 to 2020, and knows several players in the French squad well.

But it is one player missing from the squad who stopped Bronze in her tracks. Renard, who has won 168 caps for France and scored 39 goals, was a notable omission when Laurent Bonadei named his squad back in June.

Eugénie le Sommer and Kenza Dali were also left out and Bronze said she was astonished to see them missing from the group.

"Shock. Wendie is a good friend of mine," Bronze said, when asked what her reaction was when she saw the squad. "I always tell people she's the epitome of what I would describe as a captain figure. When I was at Lyon, everything she did as a person and as a player, there was nothing you could fault.

"I'm sure she'd be devastated not to be part of the Euros, knowing what she's like. The manager obviously went a different way, not just with Wendie, but with Eugénie Le Sommer, someone I know really well, and Kenza Dali.

"I guess that's how football works sometimes. It's a big shock and a shock to the French team, but just got to move forward with the players who are here at the tournament and they're going to show their best the same as we are."

Renard has described the decision as "incomprehensible" but has not closed the door on her international career.

Bronze was asked whether she was pleased to see Renard is absent, given she rates her so highly. "No, because I want to play against Wendie," she said. "For me, taking someone like that could weaken the French team. I want to play against the strongest French team. I want Wendie to be playing, defending corners and I can jump over and hit the ball. Winning a header over Wendie Renard, that's an achievement.

"You don't know if it is going to make them better or worse. I have no idea. I would rather she were here just because I think it would have been good for the game and good for the French team. I don't know whether it makes a difference to the English team but I would have loved her to be on the pitch on Saturday and playing against her. I would have rather had that."

Bronze is aware of the threat France's front three pose, but was also quick to talk up the talents in England's team. She said there's respect between the two teams, and spoke of the winning mentality in the French side.

From an England perspective, looking back over the last 12 months, Bronze said there have been performances where England's attack have impressed, and others where the defence has been resolute. She feels that if both click in this tournament, then England will taste success.

And it all starts on Saturday for Bronze and the Lionesses. This is her seventh major tournament with England so Bronze knows the nuances of these major events better than most, and momentum will be key to their success, in whatever form that takes.

"I think momentum can be in different ways, whether it's results, whether it's performances, whether it's like individual performances as well," Bronze said.

"I think we saw in the World Cup we gained momentum off of arguably not a fantastic performance but we were winning games. Then you look at our Euros where it was performances gave us huge momentum going through the tournament. And equally, individuals.

"You look at Beth Mead -- I wouldn't say she carried the team, but I think her individual performance gave other people confidence. I think it comes in different ways and different styles. Obviously it's important to have it, it's just what it looks like -- we don't know yet until we get going in these first few games."