Planète Foot #1 - Constance Picaud

Soccer Ecologie France launches "Planète Foot", a series of interviews with soccer personalities to discuss sport, ecology and societal issues. We inaugurate this series with Constance Picaud, goalkeeper for PSG and the French national team, and ambassador for our association. After starting out in her native Vendée with La Roche-sur-Yon, Constance moved on to Le Havre before signing for PSG. Constance Picaud gives us her impressions of the season, the Olympic Games and her thoughts on environmental and social issues.

Soccer often places less importance on the Games. This year, with the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in France, the stakes seem to have changed completely. Do you share this sentiment?

CP: It's true that soccer is already well promoted through its own competitions, such as the Euro and the World Cup. At the Olympic Games, all sports are brought together in a single event. The fact that they're taking place in France is exceptional, and brings more excitement around soccer than in previous editions, particularly as in France, soccer is the sport with the most licensed players.

France's soccer teams arrive with ambitions in front of their home fans. What do you think of our teams' chances?

CP: Every athlete in every discipline comes to the Olympic Games with high ambitions. What's more, taking part in the Olympics in your own country is an incredible experience, and everyone wants to win a medal in front of their home crowd!

2nd in the league, Coupe de France final, Champions League semi-final. How would you sum up your season so far, both individually and as a team?

CP: Our season with PSG has gone well. Despite being knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals, the following weekend we won the Coupe de France final. We still have a final to play against Lyon to win the Arkema D1 championship(editor's note: interview conducted before the match). We've had a great season, winning a trophy, and we want to win a second one to make this season exceptional.

In 2022, Amel Majri shook things up and changed people's minds about being a mother and a professional footballer. How do you think things have changed since then?

CP: It's true that at the end of March I became the mother of a wonderful little girl with my partner. I think mentalities have evolved in the right direction: a footballer can become a mother during her career. In my case, it was my partner who became pregnant, so I don't have the same sporting background as Amel, but the French Football Federation grants the same rights to mothers, whatever the family configuration.

What is your opinion on the development of women's soccer in recent years, particularly in terms of public visibility?

CP: In contrast to motherhood, I think the development of women's soccer is stagnating. We see what's happening abroad in terms of attendance at women's soccer matches, and there are some incredible records. For some matches in France, we manage to reach 20,000/30,000 people in the stadiums, but this is quite rare over a season. Other matches are played in front of just a few hundred spectators(editor's note: in 2023, the Arkema D1 averaged 841 spectators, compared with nearly 7,000 across the Channel - Source Sporsora).

As a footballer involved in environmental issues with the Football Ecologie France association, how do you see the role of sport in raising awareness and protecting the environment?

CP: As a sportswoman committed to the environment, I try to convey certain messages through sport. Younger people are much more receptive and sensitive through sport-related activities. So, as an athlete, I take the opportunity to learn and improve.

15 million people are expected to attend the Olympic Games in France this summer, and Football Écologie France aims to raise awareness among as many of these spectators as possible with our #TousEcoSupporters stand, which will be present in France's biggest cities, 2024 Clubs and fan zones. The stand will feature fun and educational workshops for everyone, and any interested citizen can volunteer with us to man the stand during the Games.

CP: The "TousEcoSupporters" stands are a superb initiative! The workshops proposed by Football Écologie France are great fun, and use the world of soccer to raise awareness of the impact we can all have through simple gestures to protect the planet.