Herve Renard's Profile: The Coach of Saudi Arabia Football Team

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Saudi Arabia's national football team is one of the most successful in Asia. From three Asian Cup titles to a place in the final of the FIFA World Cup, the Green Falcons have enjoyed an impressive run of success.

Herve Renard is currently in charge of the Saudi Arabian national team. He is no stranger to the role as he coached the team back in 2019.st successful in Asia. From three Asian Cup titles to a place in the final of the FIFA World Cup, the Green Falcons have enjoyed an impressive run of success.

Let's learn more about Herve Renard’s profile, from his pre-coaching career to his current position with the Saudi Arabia football team, as per goal.com, and Transfermarkt.

Herve Jean Marie Roger Renard, commonly known as Herve Renard, is the current coach of the Saudi Arabian national football team. He was born on September 30, 1968, in Aix-les-Bains, France. Football fans know him as a professional football coach with extensive experience in the field.

Prior to his coaching career, Renard spent a 15-year playing career as a footballer. The French-born once played for a number of clubs in France, including Aix-les-Bains, Cannes B, Cannes, Vallauris, and SC Draguignan, mainly as a center-back.

Renard did not seem to hit the jackpot during his playing career. Regardless, he later found great success as a coach.

Renard has been involved in coaching since the beginning of the 21st century. He commenced his career as a coach at French club SC Draguignan from 1999 to 2001.

He then expanded his horizons and began his international coaching career with the Zambia national football team from 2008 to 2010. This experience marked a milestone in his rise to international prominence.

Over time, the Frenchman gradually extended his scope by overseeing several national teams and football clubs. These include the national teams of Zambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, as well as the French women's national team.

As for football clubs, several names like England’s Cambridge United, Vietnam’s Nam Dinh, France’s AS Cherbourg and Lille, and Algeria’s USM Alger have all come under Renard's watch.

During his tenure as a coach, Renard has successfully brought several teams to achieve numerous remarkable accomplishments. Zambia won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, while France's women reached the quarter-finals of the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Starting in 2019, Renard moved to Saudi Arabia to take charge of the kingdom's national team.

The Saudi Arabia national football team's first encounter with Renald as a coach was in 2019. The 56-year-old has accomplished notable achievements with the team.

At the 2022 World Cup, Renard was instrumental in leading the Green Falcons to an unexpected 2-1 triumph over Argentina in their opening match. It was one of the most historic moments in football.

In March 2023, however, he left the Gulf state to take over the French women’s team, Arab News reported. Renard's departure was followed by the appointment of Italian coach Roberto Mancini. However, Renard made a major comeback by announcing his reappointment through X.

“I am back,” Renard said in a video published on the Saudi national team's X social media account, as reported by Reuters.

The Frenchman confirmed that he had no intention of leaving the Green Falcons, but as soon as the Gulf country reached him again, he was happy to respond.

“I did not intend to leave. But when your country knocks on your door, you have to respond,” he said in the video.

Starting October 26, 2024, Renard takes over the coach position of the Saudi Arabian national football team for the second time, replacing Mancini who resigned after poor results. His contract runs until the end of 2025 with an option to extend until the 2027 Asian Cup.

Renard’s latest performance was in a match against Indonesia in the third round of Asian Zone qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup on November 19, 2024. Despite losing to the Garuda squad with a 0-2 defeat, the French-born coach admitted that Indonesia deserved to win.

"Congratulations to the Indonesian National Team, they deserved to win this afternoon. They started the match with good intensity. So, we were punished tonight. Therefore, I say once again, I accept this challenge," Renard told a post-match press conference.

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