October 29 – In a surprise move, Frenchman Hervé Renard has been reappointed to manage Saudi Arabia following Roberto Mancini’s departure.
Renard returns for a second spell in Riyadh after leading Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2023. He guided the team to a memorable 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup but left in March last year to take over France’s women’s team. Last summer, the Frenchman departed his role following a quarter-final exit at the Olympic Games on home soil in Paris.
His contract runs until the end of 2025 with an option to extend until the 2027 Asian Cup when Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Cup for the first time. The Saudis have not won the continental finals since 1996.
Last January, the tournament spelled the beginning of the end for Mancini after a second-round exit. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation had poached the Italian from the European champions but Mancini did not settle and underwhelming results in recent World Cup qualifiers prompted a mutual termination of his contract.
His successor won’t have much time to enjoy a honeymoon period. In November, the Green Falcons travel to Melbourne for a crunch World Cup qualifiers against Australia before playing Indonesia.
“I am back,” said Renard in a promotional video on X. “I did not intend to leave, but when your country knocks on your door, you have to respond. My connection with Saudi, the fans, the players and all the memories – I can never forget. I did not finish my story with Saudi yet.”
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