Herve Renard resigns as Saudi Arabia coach to lead France at Women’s World Cup Published on: 30 March 2023

Herve Renard resigns as Saudi Arabia coach to lead France at Women’s World Cup.

Frenchman Herve Renard has resigned as head coach of Saudi Arabia’s men’s football team and will lead France at the Women’s World Cup this summer.

Renard requested his contract be terminated, according to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).

He will replace Corinne Diacre, who was sacked after several key players said they would no longer represent their country under her leadership.

SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal said, “We were informed four days before the current international window and I received a letter from the French Federation, and consulted with the board of directors and we decided to accept this request.”

Renard, who has never managed a women’s team, guided Saudi Arabia to their second successive World Cup finals in 2022, where they stunned eventual champions Argentina with a 2-1 win in Qatar.

After a friendly loss to Bolivia on Tuesday, Renard expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for their support during his almost four-year tenure, saying, “I think I did the maximum with the team. I can’t reach another level, so I prefer to be honest with everybody. Thank you again, it was a fantastic time.”

Renard has won the Africa Cup of Nations as head coach with both Zambia and Ivory Coast – the first person to lead different countries to the AFCON title. France, who are ranked fifth in the world, are seeking to win their first World Cup this summer, and the French Football Federation will hope the players who boycotted playing for the national team under Diacre will make a return.

Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto criticised the French “system” as they stepped back from international duty. Ex-captain Renard said she was taking a step back from the team “to preserve [her] mental health” and Diani claimed the “management” of the team was the reason behind her decision.

Renard is excited to take on his new role and lead France to glory at the Women’s World Cup. He said, “I have an offer from the French Federation and expressed my desire to take this opportunity.

I would like to thank everybody in Saudi for their support during almost four years.”

By Richard Koomson| mediacentralonline.info |Ghana