Only a few months after returning to the bench that made him a global icon, the man who orchestrated the biggest upset in Saudi football history has been sent packing; Yankee Scores reports…
Frenchman Herve Renard has been sacked as the coach of Saudi Arabia. This is less than two months before the 2026 World Cup.
A Legacy of Giant-Killing
Renard returned for his second stint at the end of 2024. He had guided them to Qatar 2022, which saw a memorable victory over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage.
“That’s football… Saudi Arabia have qualified for the World Cup seven times, including twice with me,” Renard told AFP via telephone.
“And there’s only one coach who has led them through both the qualifiers and the World Cup. That’s me, in 2022. At least there will be that sense of pride.”
The Managerial Carousel
Renard is a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner with Zambia and Ivory Coast. He led Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2023 before being replaced by Roberto Mancini.
He was the coach of the French women team and made it to the quarter-finals of the 2023 Women world cup and the 2024 Olympics.
Renard was later brought back by Saudi Arabia to succeed Mancini, as the Italian left his role after an underwhelming 14-month spell.
Former Greece international Georgios Donis is reportedly being lined up as the man to take over from Renard.
The Successor Search: Georgios Donis in the Frame
According to a source close to the negotiations, the federation is negotiating with Saudi club Al Khaleej, where Donis has been in charge since 2024.
Saudi Arabia will be playing Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde in Group H during the world cup this year.
