France's football national teams to use train for trips under three hours in climate pledge
France's national football teams to use train for trips under three hours in a commitment to greater sustainability; Didier Deschamps' senior side will be part of the climate pledge from March; transition already under way for the Thierry Henry-coached U21s and the women's team
Thursday 19 October 2023 16:43, UK
France's football teams will use the train for all trips under three hours in a commitment to greater sustainability.
This will include Didier Deschamps' senior side from March, with the transition already under way for the Thierry Henry-coached U21s and the women's team.
The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, announced the development on Thursday.
"Our national selections will take the train for all trips of less than three hours. And I am thinking of all the national selections, including the 'A' [senior team].
"We have already, with Herve Renard, agreed that he would transport his women's team to Valenciennes by train. We had decided with Thierry Henry that his team would travel to Nancy by train.
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"With Didier Deschamps, we began to study the move training of our France A team during the matches it will play in March, in Lyon, to ensure that it is the one that sets a good example and highlights an ecological transition policy that we support."
The logistics around Kylian Mbappe and Co travelling by rail has necessitated more time.
"We are aware of the particular difficulty concerning the French A men's team," Diallo added.
"I emphasise that we have already started to implement it with the women's and the U21s.
"Didier Deschamps' team poses particular difficulties and that is why I asked the services of the Federation to look at how we can do it, while respecting the sporting imperatives in terms of travel time and recovery.
"There are questions of security and questions relating to the comfort of other passengers. If we put the French team tomorrow at Lyon station, it is possible that there will be crowds and that the trains don't leave on time.
"That's why I mentioned March, we gave ourselves time, with the managers of the SNCF [train services], the French team, the FFF and the public authorities to study all facets."
Future of Football: Climate & Sustainability
There is no getting away from the fact climate change is one of the world's most pressing issues.
There is no denying football is a contributor either, with travelling to away games via plane having been highlighted as an area of concern in recent months.
As part of Sky Sports' Future of Football project, we took a closer look at the measures individual clubs in the UK and beyond are implementing in order to play their part in making football a more climate-friendly, sustainable sport for years to come.
