Hervé Renard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hervé Renard

Renard as Morocco manager at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Date of birth	(1968-09-30) 30 September 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth	Aix-les-Bains, France
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Saudi Arabia (head coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1983–1990	Cannes	87	(0)
1991–1997	Stade de Vallauris [fr]	105	(2)
1997–1998	Draguignan	23	(1)
Total		215	(3)
Teams managed
1999–2001	Draguignan
2004	Cambridge United
2004	Nam Dinh
2005–2007	Cherbourg
2008–2010	Zambia
2010	Angola
2011	USM Alger
2011–2013	Zambia
2013–2014	Sochaux
2014–2015	Ivory Coast
2015	Lille
2016–2019	Morocco
2019–2023	Saudi Arabia
2023–2024	France Women
2024–	Saudi Arabia
Honours Men's football Africa Cup of Nations Representing  Zambia (as manager) Winner 2012 Representing  Ivory Coast (as manager) Winner 2015
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Hervé Renard (born 30 September 1968) is a famous French football coach. He used to be a player himself. Currently, he is the head coach for the Saudi Arabia men's team.

Renard is known for winning the Africa Cup of Nations twice. He won it with Zambia in 2012 and then with the Ivory Coast in 2015. This made him the first coach to win the tournament with two different countries. He also coached Morocco at the 2018 World Cup. From 2019 to 2023, he managed Saudi Arabia. After that, he coached the France women's team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. In October 2024, he returned to coach Saudi Arabia for a second time.

Early Life and Playing Days

Hervé's Childhood

Hervé Jean-Marie Roger Renard was born on 30 September 1968. His hometown is Aix-les-Bains, which is in France.

Playing Football as a Defender

Renard played football as a defender. A defender is a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring goals. He played for French clubs like Cannes, Stade de Vallauris, and Draguignan. His playing career lasted from 1983 to 1998.

After he stopped playing professionally, he worked as a cleaner. He would work in the mornings and then train with Draguignan in the evenings. Eventually, he even started his own cleaning business!

Hervé Renard's Coaching Journey

Starting His Coaching Career

Hervé Renard began his coaching journey with Draguignan. He also worked as an assistant coach in China for Shanghai Cosco from 2002 to 2003. Later, he managed an English team called Cambridge United in 2004.

He then coached the Vietnamese club Nam Dinh for a few months in 2004. From 2005 to 2007, he managed Cherbourg. After that, he became an assistant coach for the Ghana men's team.

Coaching Zambia (First Time)

In May 2008, Renard became the manager of the Zambia team. He led Zambia to the quarter-finals of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. This was the first time they reached that stage in 14 years! Renard left Zambia in April 2010.

Brief Stints in Angola and Algeria

Just two days after leaving Zambia, he became the manager of Angola. However, he resigned from that role in October 2010. In January 2011, Renard agreed to become the head coach of the Algerian club USM Alger.

Returning to Coach Zambia

On 22 October 2011, Renard came back to coach Zambia for a second time. He signed a one-year contract. He led the team to their first-ever victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012. This win was very special. It was dedicated to 18 players who died in a plane crash in April 1993. The crash happened near where the 2012 final was played.

After Zambia was knocked out of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Renard took responsibility. He left his contract with Zambia in October 2013. This was to take on a new role with a French club.

Managing Sochaux in France

On 7 October 2013, Renard was named the new manager of the French club Sochaux. The team was fighting to avoid being moved down to a lower league. After the team was relegated, he left the club in May 2014.

Leading Ivory Coast to Victory

Renard as Ivory Coast at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

In July 2014, Renard was appointed manager of the Ivory Coast. He led them to win the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. This made him the first coach to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries!

A Short Time at Lille

Renard became the manager of the French club Lille in May 2015. However, he was sacked on 11 November 2015. This was after the team only got 13 points in 13 league games.

Coaching Morocco

Renard as Morocco manager at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

In February 2016, Renard was appointed as the new manager for the Morocco team. In November 2017, he helped Morocco qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. This was their first World Cup since 1998! He signed a new contract until 2022. However, in July 2019, Morocco was eliminated from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Renard took responsibility for this "shock exit" and resigned a few days later.

First Time Coaching Saudi Arabia

In July 2019, he became the manager of Saudi Arabia. He was the first Frenchman to hold this position. In March 2022, Renard led Saudi Arabia to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also became the foreign-born manager with the most wins (18) in the nation's history.

In their first game of the World Cup, he led Saudi Arabia to a big 2–1 win over Argentina. Argentina was one of the favorites to win the tournament. This was seen as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history! However, Saudi Arabia lost their other two matches and were eliminated from the group stage.

Coaching the France Women's Team

In March 2023, Renard was chosen to coach the France women's national football team. He officially became their manager on 30 March, with a contract until August 2024. His main task was to prepare the team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Renard made history by becoming the first coach to manage teams in two different senior World Cups in the same year. He was also the second manager ever to coach at both the men's and women's World Cups. On 29 July 2023, he became the first coach to win a match in both the men's and women's World Cups. This happened when France beat Brazil in the group stage. France was later knocked out in the quarter-finals.

Returning to Saudi Arabia (Again!)

On 26 October 2024, Hervé Renard was reappointed as the head coach of Saudi Arabia. This happened after the previous coach was sacked.

Managerial Statistics

Personal Life

Hervé Renard is in a relationship with Viviane Dièye. She is the widow of another football coach, Bruno Metsu. Renard's grandparents on his mother's side were from Poland.

Honours and Awards

As a Manager

Zambia

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2012
• COSAFA Cup: 2013

Ivory Coast

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2015

Individual Awards

• CAF Coach of the Year: 2012, 2015, 2018

See also

In Spanish: Hervé Renard para niños