Herve Renard Back In Charge Of Saudi Arabia After Mancini Steps Down

Saudi Arabia has reappointed Frenchman Herve Renard as manager to replace Roberto Mancini, the Gulf country’s national team announced on Saturday.

The 56-year-old, who led the Saudi team from 2019 to 2023, is set to succeed Italian coach Mancini, who departed from his role on Thursday by mutual consent after a 14-month tenure.

“I am back,” Renard, clad in Saudi traditional costume, said in a video published on the Saudi national team’s X social media account.

His contract runs until the end of 2025 with an option to extend through the 2027 Asian Cup, the team said in a statement.

Renard departed from his position with the Saudi team to take charge of France’s women’s squad for the World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

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

During his first spell, he led Saudi Arabia to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they surprisingly beat eventual champions Argentina in their opener.

“I did not finish my story with Saudi yet. And thank God, I am back,” added the Frenchman.

He will return to his role with the Saudis on October 27, with their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Australia and Indonesia in November marking the beginning of his second tenure, the team announced.

Saudi Arabia is third in Group C of Asia’s third round of World Cup preliminaries with five points. They are five points adrift of group leaders Japan after four matches.

They lost 2-0 at home to Japan on the 10th of October before being held to a scoreless draw by Bahrain five days later.

The top two teams in each group automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams enter an additional preliminary round, with the bottom two teams being eliminated.