Diacre targets team triumph

By Christian Châtelet

Every time France captain Corinne Diacre takes the field for her country she sets a new landmark, but the only thing on her mind this summer will be leading Les Bleues to an unprecedented semi-final place at the 2005 UEFA European Women's Championship.

Record books
History was made in Montbeliard on 13 April this year when Diacre edged past fellow centre-back Marcel Desailly and straight into the record books by making her 117th international appearance against the Netherlands. Since then the counter has moved on to 118 and, for the sake of her team-mates, she hopes to collect at least four more caps in England this June.

'Proud'
"I'm obviously proud of my record," the 30-year-old told uefa.com. "I'm thankful for my longevity, but football is not an individual sport. Every player is just a part of a team and teams should be praised much more than players."

Selfless attitude
That same selfless attitude has spurred Diacre on throughout a distinguished international career that began at the age of 18 in March 1993, and it also helps explain her loyalty to small-town side ASJ Soyaux, the club she has remained faithful to since 1988.

Technique and spirit
Soyaux's coach Bernadette Constantin is better placed than most to analyse what makes Diacre special. "There are two things which give her the edge in my opinion," Constantin explained. "On the one hand she's worked a lot on her technique, even though it was above average to begin with.

'Spirit of an athlete'
"Now she has two good feet and is a good header, which really raises her game. She also has the spirit of an athlete - never give up, always believe in victory. I think as long as she feels like that in her head she will carry on."

Coaching ambition
Diacre has no plans to retire for the time being, but when she does she will know exactly where to focus her energies. "I have a sports training degree and I hope to be a coach. I've been training youth teams for my club and I think it's very important to train youngsters first before adults," she said.

Team honours
First things first, of course, and Diacre would dearly love a few team honours to match her own personal milestones. Soyaux came close this year before crashing out of the French Cup semi-finals to Olympique Lyonnais in extra time, and now the stylish defender has turned her attentions to UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2005™.

'Dark horses'
"Our immediate aim in England will be getting into the semi-finals. We failed to make it past the group stage in the last two European Championships and the 2003 World Cup. We're dark horses but that's why progressing far would be special."

Aiming high
France's task looks anything but straightforward against the professional stars of Germany and Norway in a tough Group B, yet Diacre is confident their time will soon come. "We're 200 per cent amateur," she admitted. "I use my teaching degree, not football, to earn money. But the French FA have invested a lot in women's football in recent years, and we have to do our best to reward them with a semi-final - at the very least!"