Lucy Bronze has voiced her astonishment at Wendie Renard's omission from France's squad for Euro 2025, suggesting that the team might be weakened without her. The Lionesses are set to begin their title defense against France in Zurich this Saturday, marking the first of three group stage matches.

Bronze, who played alongside Renard at Lyon from 2017 to 2020, winning three consecutive Women's Champions League titles, described Renard as the epitome of a captain. "Wendie is a good friend of mine. She's the epitome of what I would describe as a captain figure," Bronze remarked. "When I was at Lyon, everything she did as a person and as a player, there was nothing you could fault. I'm sure she will be devastated not to be part of the Euros."

France's manager, Laurent Bonadei, explained that his decision was not impulsive but part of a "different selection" strategy. Renard, aged 34, has made 168 international appearances and previously served as team captain.

Bronze expressed her desire to face the strongest possible French team, stating, "I want to play against Wendie. For me, not taking someone like that could weaken the French team. I want to play against the strongest French team."

As the Lionesses prepare for their tournament opener, they will encounter familiar faces, including Chelsea's Sandy Baltimore and former Lyon teammate Selma Bacha. The two teams have a history of close encounters, with both securing 2-1 victories away from home during the Euro 2025 qualifiers.

England aims to achieve consecutive victories against France for the first time since 1974, while France boasts a strong group stage record, having started their last five Euros tournaments with a win.

Both teams are considered heavyweights in the group stages, with high aspirations for the tournament. "There's a lot of respect between the teams because we have faced off so regularly," Bronze noted. "I don't think France necessarily fear England, they just have a lot of respect and think we have a very talented team - it's the same with them."

Bronze emphasized the importance of facing top-tier teams early in the tournament, stating, "We get to test ourselves against the good teams straight away. There are no surprises going through the tournament. We know the standard that you have to be at. When you get to these tournaments, you want to play in the big games against the best players. Why not have it in your first game?"