Selma Bacha Le Progres Interview (October 17, 2023)
Blah blah standard disclaimers apply; god I HATE invasive behavior so much it genuinely makes my skin crawl; @OL Comms Dept a PSL I beg of you; y'all know the speech by now. I don't want to commit to translating Le Progres articles on a regular basis but as is everything in life, that is subject to change.
In which the prodigal child returns from the cold, remembers Lyon's win/loss record against Barcelona, disses Lyon's men's team, and confesses love and admiration for WoSo's favorite Bad Catholic.
It was basically a fan Q&A and anyone with a Le Progres subscription will be able to find their names; however I took out the fans' names because I just don't feel comfortable outing private information like that. (See, it's that easy to be a decent human being and respect someone's privacy!!! Who would have thought!!!!)
SELMA BACHA LE PROGRES INTERVIEW
Selma Bacha: "My biggest strength is my instinct"
For one hour, the Olympique Lyonnais and French International left back talked with Le Progres readers with all the spontaneity and frankness we have come to expect from her. Without shying away from a single question. Her tenacious character, the difference in attendance for men's football compared to women's football, the support from her family, how she regards mental strength, her role models, her relationship with Wendie Renard... A Bacha with no filter!
[Fan]: Do you play any other sport apart from rugby?
I do a lot of boxing during preseason and when we're in preseason. It allows me to blow off steam. I also enjoy swimming, and because I'm such a competitor, I always have to swim against someone who swims professionally so I can improve and to improve my mental strength. I also go hiking even if I like it a little less. Ever since I was young, I really loved sports in general. In middle school, I did cross country. I wanted to do my middle school proud so I gave everything, and I finished third in the French Championship.
[Fan]: Did you play with the boys in the academy?
I started playing with the boys when I was five. I was recruited really quickly by Lyon when I was eight. But my parents got divorced at that time and I lived with my father and my brother, so I have certain male characteristics. But maybe that's what gave me my desire to win, the determination, how to be aggressive and not let anything go.
[Fan]: What would you say is the difference between men's football and women's football? The difference in attendance?
We do the same job, but female players don't bring in as much money as the men do. But we're seeing some progress, we see it with the French National Team where we often play in front of sold-out crowds. It's up to us to win over supporters, to make them proud and gain interest in us. I have a lot of confidence in that even if it's a little frustration to play the final of the Coupe de France or the Trophee des Championnes in front of a small crowd. That being said, then a game is at 9pm on a Sunday, I understand that's it is complicated for families.
[Fan]: Were you disappointed not to play the derby [against ASSE] at the Groupama Stadium?
I think I can speak for the team but we would prefer to play in front of a smaller crowd with a great atmosphere, which may have been lost if we played at the Groupama Stadium.
[Fan]: What is your best memory in the Champions League?
My first final in Kiev [Lyon beat Wolfsburg 4-1]. I wasn't even expecting to be on the team sheet and I went to the pregame meeting and I found myself starting at the age of 17. The atmosphere was incredible. Overseas, people are really interested in those types of events. Here in France, we're sleepwalking our way through it, even if after the [2019] World Cup a lot of people started to get more into women's football.
[Fan]: Other countries have overtaken women's football in France. What do you think about that?
It's not to put down our league because things were put in place and we were heard, so respect for that, but when there is a clash like Chelsea-Manchester City in England, it's hard to compete against. Discussions were had, I'm a bit young but Wendie Renard is taking part in them and things are starting to change. In July, professionalism was put in place, so it's moving forward. Slowly but surely.
[Fan]: What has been the most difficult thing in your career?
I integrated the professional group very quickly. I saw everything through rose tinted glasses at first. And when I was on the bench, I was asking the right questions of myself. I was talking with the physical fitness coach, the psychologist, the nutritionist, and I told myself I need to work twice as hard to achieve what I really wanted. I'm someone who is always very smiley and when I'm hurting, no one will know. I can internalize a lot but it will explode, I implode by myself and obviously, that's not good mentally. I have my parents, my team and my best friend, Alyssa Paljevic (former goalkeeper at Lyon), who is a shoulder to lean on. She doesn't judge me and she tells me if I'm wrong or not.
[Fan]: Are you properly supported in terms of mental health?
It depends on each individual. I often tell the youth to make sure to have a good support system. When I arrived at 16 [to the pro group], I wasn't paying a lot of attention to nutrition, to sleep, to recovery, the invisible part of training. I quickly understood you needed support and structure to achieve my objections, which are really high. When I go the [team] psychologist, it's because it helps me a lot mentally.
[Fan]: What qualities do you need to become professional?
Being good at football obviously. Beyond that, only hard work pays off. I give a lot of credit to the people working behind the scenes who put things in place for us. The invisible part of training is also really important. Beyond that, it comes down to having a lot of fun and confidence, you have to follow your instinct. Now it's my turn to ask if you want to be a professional football player? You'd like that? Right there, you can't say "I'd like to". You have to say "I want to" to send the right information to your brain and have confidence in yourself.
[Fan]: Have you stayed in contact with FC Gerland, the team you started with?
I'm the godmother of my former club which is still very dear to me. Last season, I was able to gift them jerseys thanks to my sponsor. Whenever I can go and give them advice, I do it without hesitation.
{Fan]: Do you play Fifa?
From what I'm told, apparently in the game, I'm expensive and a "cheat code"... Personally I don't really play, I prefer to relax.
[Fan]: Do you train in the morning and afternoon like the men's team?
Who told you the men's team train in the morning and afternoon? (laughter) We often have training in the morning, but sometimes we have double or even triple sessions when we come back from vacation. But yeah, we're like the men, we do the same job.
[Fan]: Do you interact with the men's team?
Yes, and besides that, once a year, during the gala for OL Foundation [Lyon charity], we're seated a table with investors and there's obviously a player from the men's team next to us. You might think they have big egos but when you get to know them, they're real softies. We see them in the cafeteria as well.
[Fan]: Was the transition post-Aulas easier for the women's team?
I don't know what's going on on their [men's team] end but from our end, Michele Kang came to see us, we had talks. We're not an easy team to handle but we're not complicated. (laughter)
[Fan]: Which players are your role model?
I'm a footballer but I don't watch a lot of football. The players who inspire, it's Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, because they're hard workers.
[Fan]: Have you recovered from your ankle injury in Australia?
My ankle doesn't bother me anymore otherwise I wouldn't be on the field, especially because I have a long season ahead and therefore we won't want to take any risks. But it's true the sprain was no joke. I had 10 days to recover. It didn't hurt at all during the World Cup even if it was swollen. I'm not a cheat: if I'm not 100 percent it's not worth putting me on the field. So yeah, my ankle is a little unstable since, it'll roll sometimes, I'll be in pain for 30 seconds up to a minute, but that's normal. Let's just say I played my joker. At Lyon there is all the necessary medical staff, I'm in good hands.
[Fan]: Does it help you to play in your hometown?
There are advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is I was born here, all my family is here and I'm really close to my family so I have a lot of support, that really helps me. But sometimes, you just want to be alone and that's not always an option.
[Fan]: What is your relationship like with Wendie [Renard]?
Wendie, she took me immediately under her wing as soon as I integrated the pro group. She knows the love and admiration I have for her. She's in my heart, she's a big sister for me who I can always count on. Our friendship goes beyond football. When things were going badly and I thought about quitting football, she really helped me. I owe an enormous amount to her.
[Fan]: Do you think you will change clubs in the upcoming years?
That's a good question! (laughter) I'm under contract with Lyon until 2025. I have incredibly strong feelings for this club, I grew up with them. For the moment, I'm good here, I live it day by day and for the moment, I'm not imagining myself elsewhere.
[Fan]: You wouldn't want to go to Barcelona?
Why would I choose Barcelona? (laughter) I'm not afraid to test myself in a new league. Each year, in my room, I take a blank piece of paper and write down my objectives. Last season [2021-2022], I wasn't expecting to be be the youngest player in the Champions League, have the most assists, be nominated to the Ballon d'Or... I couldn't believe it. But when you play for the team and you put the team first, the individual stats will follow by themselves.
[Fan]: Do you practice a lot shooting from afar?
Let's just say it's instinct. I have a very strong left foot. The assistant coach for the French National Team teases me a lot about that: he tells me I have a more powerful shot than certain male players but I need to put them on target (laughter), so I know what I have to improve on. I'd say that above all else, my strength, it's my instinct. I always follow it: if I have to take a shot, I'll shoot, if I have to get my teammate to score, I'll do it. I don't think just about me. I'd rather have an assist than score, even if scoring, it's a really special feeling.
[Fan]: Which team has the best style of play in your eyes?
Olympique Lyonnais (laughter). Otherwise I'd say Barcelona, because I am a player who likes ball possession and at the top level, the Spanish players are the best. I like to watch Barcelona.
[Fan]: Who was the best team you played against?
That's a good question. I'd say Chelsea and Barcelona.
[Fan]: And the best player according to you?
There are a lot. At the moment, I'd say Eugenie Le Sommer. Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona) as well, she's really good.
[Fan]: Do you chip in training?
Ball control, nutmeg, shooting, yes. But not really chips.
[Fan]: What is it like being an undisputed starter with the French National Team?
It's an honor! My team knows how much I struggled and all the tears I shed. Compared to other players, I integrated it a little later but I never gave up. There were nights when I was crying at home and I was thinking: "what am I missing?" And one day, when Lyon was at Issy-les-Moulineaux, I learnt that I would be called up because Sakina Karchaoui was injured. At first I couldn't believe it and I was even afraid the coach was pranking me. I screamed really loudly in the bus, everyone was really happy for me. Being at Clairefontaine, seeing the castle, it was a childhood dream. I'll never forget my first game against Kazakhstan, especially because I was a starter. And then I scored in my second game against Wales! I couldn't dream it any better. Now, my status has changed, but I'm not going to get a big head over it. I stay smiley, likable and I never forget where I came from. I want to keep my feet on the ground because it can all change so quickly.
{Fan]: How did you handle coming back from the World Cup?
That night, obviously I didn't sleep. But despite my missed penalty, I told myself that I gave everything and shouldn't have any regrets. Especially because I came into the tournament with an injury and had 10 days to recover from a big sprain. Afterwards? There was a long flight with a lot of sadness and frustration. I landed mid-morning in Lyon, I went to see my family and that afternoon, I went to Montpellier and then the next day to Marrakech. I turned my phone off and no one knew where I was. I needed a lot of time before I could talk about the World Cup.
[Fan]: What was missing for this World Cup?
Efficiency of course. We weren't able to impose our style of play and we were subjected to Australia's. Maybe we lacked a bit of bite as well. Ellie Carpenter, my Australian teammate, when she has one touch of the ball, she moves up 10 meters. When you foul a Brazilian player, they form a group around the referee to put pressure on her. When we had a team meeting about it, Kenza Dali actually called me out by name and said we needed to be more like me, aggressive. Of course you need to respect the referee and not waste energy for no reason when she has already made her decision, but in the quarterfinal of the World Cup, I think we can go talk to the ref. And not just in football. Look at rugby!
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Partie 1 : storyboard
Pour le thème imposé "Jeux olympiques", j'ai souhaité représenter une athlète de saut en hauteur en plein entraînement. L'ambiance se veut tout d'abord sérieuse, assurée, où le personnage se concentre et prends son élan. Tout semble à croire que cette épreuve est surmontable, et qu'elle y arrivera avec facilité.
Finalement, en pleine action, la barre se brise, elle tombe au sol, et alors qu'elle reprend ses esprits, la deuxième partie de la barre jusque-là hors champ, lui retombe subitement sur la tête.
Dans la suite de cette histoire, l'athlète reprendrait encore et encore ses tentatives. À plusieurs reprises, elle se rate, à chaque fois d'une manière différente, dans un ressort plutôt absurde, comique et irréaliste (elle se prend la barre en hauteur, elle pense la franchir, mais la franchie en fait par en dessous, la barre de saut se plie par l'avant et l'envoie par effet catapulte en arrière, etc.). Les scènes de ratage du saut se suivent et durent chacune 5-10 secondes, et l'enchaînement finit sur des scènes successives des chutes, durant 2 secondes chacune. Finalement, tout s'arrête sur une scène calme où le personnage est vu assis, soupirant et désespéré, avant de trouver une impulsion (sous la forme par exemple d'un souvenir), qui l'aide finalement à réaliser un saut parfait, maîtrisé et réussi.
Fin alternative :
Elle ne réussit jamais son saut, mais se découvre un autre talent. Par exemple, agacée et contrariée de son échec, elle saisit un disque d'athlétisme traînant auprès d'elle et le lance de colère, l'envoyant ainsi au loin à une distance particulièrement remarquable. Elle se découvre ainsi un talent qu'elle n'imaginait pas, et finit championne de lancer du disque.
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histoire. la morris, hyène de la gestapo : de jeune fille de bonne famille à collaboratrice, drame en trois actes
Il y a dans l'histoire de ces personnages qu'on a peine à croire aient un jour habité un corps de chair tant ils paraissent tout droits sortis d'un roman. Violette Morris en fait partie.
Première championne olympique de lancer de disque et de poids, sportive-star et garagiste devenue chanteuse de music-hall, figure controversée de “femme à pantalon”, collaboratrice et icône de la vie parisienne, Violette Morris est l’athlète vedette de la presse des années folles.
Lorsque la guerre éclate, Émilie Paule Marie Violette Morris est une jeune fille de bonne famille qui n’a pas vingt ans. En 1916 elle décide, premier acte de la longue liste de défiances qu’elle aura envers les mœurs assignées à son sexe, de se porter volontaire pour assurer des liaisons en motocyclette pour l’armée anglaise. L’armistice signée, elle se lance bientôt dans une carrière sportive prolifique qui aboutit à sa participation aux premières olympiades féminines en 1921.
Acte I : Violette, un homme comme les autres
Tout au long de sa carrière, l’athlète est poursuivie par la presse. Mais, davantage que ses exploits sportifs, ce sont les « excentricités » de « la Morris » qui font couler beaucoup d'encre. On ne manque pas, dès que possible, de relater chacune de ses apparitions dans la presse, mais surtout de la comparer à ces homologues masculins, ce qui lui vaudra en réponse ces paroles célèbres devenues sa devise « Ce qu’un homme fait, Violette peut le faire ! ». Dans la seconde partie des années 1920, non satisfaite de ses exploits en athlétisme, Violette Morris se prend d’amour pour la course automobile. On est en 1927, et c’est déjà bien établie comme figure du sport contemporain et juste avant de gagner l'épreuve du Bol d'Or automobile sur le circuit de Fontainebleau, qu’elle prend la pose au volant pour l’agence Roll, arborant fièrement un complet d’homme, les cheveux courts et le cigare à la bouche. Le regard droit qui vise à l’extérieur de l’image, résolument tournée vers un avenir pourtant incertain, la sportive ne semble guère faire cas des hommes en habit du dimanche qui l’observent en arrière plan.
Violette Morris se distingue dès le début de sa carrière par ses performances remarquables dans des disciplines aussi variées que l'athlétisme, le football, la natation et la boxe. Ses exploits sont souvent attribués à sa stature, réputée impressionante pour une femme de l’époque : 1 mètre 66 pour 70 kilos, une musculature indéniable et des bras qui n’ont rien à envier à ceux de ses sparing partners, la Morris en impose. En 1929, elle choisit de subir une double masectomie afin de pouvoir conduire plus aisément sa voiture de course, ce qui ne manque pas de faire à nouveau jaser les rédactions parisiennes. Le Petit Journal titre “l’amazone du vingtième siècle” ; la revue Comoedia s’écrie : “Vous n'êtes plus une violette, M...ademoiselle !”. Ce cliché d’elle conduisant fièrement une voiture de course dernier cri marque autant un tournant dans sa biographie que dans l’histoire du sport et des compétitions sportives. C’est en 1920 que germe l’idée d’organiser un véritable rallye féminin. Le journal L’Auto, ancêtre de l’Equipe, s’en ouvre à ses lectrices, qui répondent à l’appel : intitulée la « Coupe des dames », l’événement tient plus du gala que de l’événement sportif, mais les compétitrices en auto, moto et sidecar font forte impression. Ce n’est que sept ans plus tard que se tiendra le premier véritable rallye automobile féminin, où Morris tiendra tête à Colette Salomon la “danseuse bolide” et sa Bugatti T35. Le championnat deviendra ensuite annuel.
Acte II : Violette, une des premières stars françaises queer ?
Dans les années 30, une Violette Morris devenue mondaine fréquente les hauts lieux lesbiens de Paris et côtoie les grands intellectuels et artistes de l’époque. Elle fréquente Joséphine Baker, on lui imagine une liaison avec Arletty, elle héberge Jean Cocteau sur sa péniche quai de la Muette, finance la représentation de sa pièce Les Monstres sacrés et vit même brièvement avec son actrice fétiche, Yvonne de Bray. Ouvertement bisexuelle, il faut dire qu’elle n’a jamais cherché à couvrir ses infidélités à son mari, dont elle a divorcé seulement quelques années après la noce. Toujours sous couvert de sa devise, elle affronte les hommes en boxe dans les tenues réglementaires : un short et un marcel qui laissent apparaître toute sa physionomie féminine.
Mais son attitude masculine, son habitude de se travestir à la ville et sa coupe à la garçonne lui valent, outre des critiques acerbes et incessantes de la presse, des ennuis pour sa carrière. En 1928 et alors qu’elle s’apprête à participer aux premiers Jeux Olympiques féminins, la Fédération française sportive féminine lui révoque sa licence au motif d’outrage aux bonnes mœurs. On lui reproche ses attitudes, ses tenues, ses altercations avec les arbitres où dit-on elle n’hésite pas à jouer du poing, et son goût supposé pour les nymphettes dans les vestiaires des filles... La sportive porte plainte contre la fédération. Le procès qui en suit est très médiatisé. Mais si elle est jugée pour ses mœurs, la question de l'homosexualité de Violette Morris n'est pas abordée explicitement, l’argumentation se concentrant vite sur son port du pantalon, ce qui donnera a posteriori au procès le nom de “‘l’affaire du pantalon”. Sans surprise, elle est déboutée par le tribunal, qui estime que la Fédération est dans son bon droit d’interdire le port de vêtements dont l’usage n’est pas admis pour les femmes par la loi. Interdite de stade, elle change de vie. On la retrouve d’abord à la tête d’une boutique de pièces détachées automobiles, puis, peut être inspirée par ses conquêtes, chanteuse sur les planches du music-hall. En 1937, l’olympienne défraie encore la chronique : elle est accusée d’avoir assassiné un légionnaire qui aurait tenté de l’attaquer sur sa péniche à Neuilly sur Seine. L’affaire se solde par un non lieu, l’instruction ayant établi que Morris avait agit en légitime défense.
Acte III : Violette, la collabo.
Qualifiée de ‘solide gaillard” par Le Figaro, puis d’émule de Rigoulot par le Miroir des Sports en référence au champion d’haltérophilie et pilote de course, on trouve en 1944 à la sulfureuse sportive un dernier surnom qui préfigure sa chute : la “hyène de la Gestapo”. Depuis deux ans, la Morris est suspectée d’avoir commencé à entretenir des rapports plus que cordiaux avec les autorités allemandes à la suite des jeux de 1936. Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, Violette Morris est la chauffeuse de Christian Sarton du Jonchay et dirige le garage de la Luftwaffe sur le boulevard Pershing à Paris. Des rumeurs planent sur son emploi par le chef des services du renseignement SS à Paris Helmut Knochen. Le 26 avril, alors qu’elle roule sur une petite route de l’Eure, la championne est abattue par un groupe de résistants maquisards normands. Le trouble qui entoure sa disparition suscitera une dernière salve d’articles dans la presse à scandale, retraçant autant ses prouesses physiques et sportives que ses présumées conquêtes et ses démêlés avec la loi.
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