Herve Renard

Back on March 21, 2023, Louise Peloquin reported on the upheaval in French football, with the coach of the women’s team being dismissed shortly before the start of the World Cup. Today, Louise brings news that the team may have hired its new coach:

The French women’s national soccer team may be about to get a new coach – Hervé Renard who has just resigned from his post in Saudi Arabia.

According to a source within the Saudi football federation, on March 28th, Renard stated that he was “determined to return to France to manage a national team.” This inside source added that the Saudi federation had “accepted” his resignation.

Four months before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the Frenchman will take over from Corinne Diacre who was dismissed further to growing discontent from her best players, three of whom left the national team.

The FFF (Fédération Française de Football) had been on tenterhooks for days, waiting for the outcome of negotiations between Renard and the Saudi federation.

The Saudi source specified “we tried to dissuade him (from leaving) but .… we cannot prevent him from accomplishing his dream.” Renard was under contract with Saudi Arabia until 2027. Nothing was revealed about any financial compensation negotiations due to the termination of the contract.

Renard has had multiple international coaching experiences – in Zambia, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, for example. However, he has had no experience as head of a woman’s team.

There are only four preparation matches before “Les Bleues” (the team’s name) enter into the World Cup competition on July 23rd in Sydney against Jamaica. If Hervé Renard is officially named coach, let’s hope he brings himself up to speed and gets his new team out of the blues.

• Louise Peloquin