French football chiefs were poised on Wednesday to anoint Hervé Renard as the new head coach of the France women's football squad.
The 54-year-old Frenchman is expected to take over from Corinne Diacre who was sacked on 9 March after the skipper Wendie Renard and several members of the squad announced their international retirement.
Renard, who had a contract until 2027 with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), fuelled rumours of his imminent appointment following his resignation as head coach of the country's men's team.
"Herve has an offer from the French federation and expressed his desire to take this opportunity," SAFF president Yasser Al-Misehal told Saudi Sports Channel (SSC).
"We were informed four days before the current international window and I received a letter from the French Federation. I consulted with a number of members of the board of directors and we decided to accept this request."
The SAFF confirmed Renard's departure on social media on Tuesday night.
Statement 📝⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Jht6G9h7PU
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) March 28, 2023
"The president and board of directors of SAFF wish for Mr Renard every success in his future career," the statement added.
Renard took over Saudi Arabia in July 2019 with a reputation for enhancing modest players and forging a flinty collective.
His first notable success came in his second spell as boss of Zambia. In 2012, he led the unheralded side to their first Africa Cup of Nations crown.
In an emotional final, they beat a star-studded Cote d'Ivoire team in a penalty shoot-out in Libreville, just a few kilometres from the site of a plane crash in which most of the Zambia football team died along with the crew in April 1993 as they travelled to a World Cup qualifying match in Senegal.
In 2015, Renard steered the Ivorians to the Cup of Nations title at the expense of Ghana to become the first coach to lead two different sides to the continent's most prestigious national team trophy.
A spell with the Ligue 1 outfit Lille ended badly after six months in November 2015 but he regained his allure with the Morocco national team which he took to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He left after a surprise loss to Benin in the last-16 at the 2019 Cup of Nations.
His Saudi Arabia team created the first significant shock at the 2022 World Cup when they came from behind to end Argentina's 36-game unbeaten streak with a 2-1 victory in the opening game of Group C. But losses to Poland and Mexico left them bottom of the pool and eliminated.
On Wednesday, Renard hailed the players and SAFF staff on social media
Having been the coach of National team of Saudi Arabia is a great pride for me. Since August 2019, I had the chance to be an integral part of the life of this beautiful country. I have seen this team grow alongside me and achieve a fabulous World Cup
— Hervé Renard (@Herve_Renard_HR) March 28, 2023
1/2 pic.twitter.com/gjEMWXgVSG
"Very proud to have been able to show to the world the progress and a good image of the Saudi football," Renard tweeted.
"It's time for me to fly to an other horizon but with this (sic) memories engraved in me."
The France post will be Renard's first in charge of a women's team during a 23-year coaching career that has taken him across the globe.
"That Saudi victory over Argentina shows that he can organise and get the spirit going," said Jonathan Wilson, editor of the British-based football magazine The Blizzard.
"And I think with the French women's team at the minute, anyone who can get them singing from the same hymn sheet and pulling in the same direction will probably be the most important criteria."
Renard's first tests will come with friendly games against Colombia at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied in Clermont-Ferrand on 7 April and against Canada four days later at the Stade Marie-Marvingt in Le Mans as the squad prepares for the women's World Cup in the summer in Australia and New Zealand.
"I think fundamentally the men's an women's games are different," added Wilson.
"And that's not a qualitative judgment. The tactics are just different and the expectations are different. And it's unusual to switch between the two.
"But Renard is adaptable and clearly has a great emotional intelligence and a great tactical intelligence. I think there are really interesting possibilities."
