Paris: Frenchman Herve Renard told AFP on Friday he has been relieved of his duties as Saudi Arabia coach, less than two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Renard, 57, returned for a second spell as Saudi coach at the end of 2024, having led them at the last World Cup in Qatar, including to a famous win 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.” Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner with Zambia and Ivory Coast, led Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2023 before being replaced by Roberto Mancini.
