Corinne Diacre: ‘People with nasty intentions say women coaching men is impossible’

The first woman to take charge of a professional men’s team is now coaching France’s women’s side and has spent a lifetime overcoming the odds

La Creuse is a rural part of provincial France, right in the middle of the country, known for its farmland. In 1986 Corinne Diacre, a football-mad girl who lived there and bucked the trends of the time with her exceptional passion for the game, took the 400 km journey to Paris to take part in a national ball-juggling competition.

The contest demanded each contestant attempted 300 taps with the right foot, 300 with the left, 300 with alternate feet, and 100 headers. Diacre was 11 years old. She completed 300 with her right, 105 with her left, 300 alternate and 100 headers. She won the competition. But being a girl with an unusual level of determination, she vowed to return the following year to win without making a mistake. Aged 12 she took the journey again from La Creuse to Paris and her performance was flawless.

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