There is outstanding young talent in S.arabia: Renard

RIYADH: After more than a decade in Africa, where he enjoyed very successful stints in Zambia, Cote d’ivoire and Morocco, winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations title twice and qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, French coach Herve Renard decided to switch continents. His new destination is Asia, where he headed in July to take up the coaching reins of Saudi Arabia.

Despite a busy schedule and having little time to prepare for the ongoing Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023, the coach took time out to talk exclusively to FIFA.COM. “It was time for a new challenge, and I hope I’ll succeed in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

During the interview, the 51-year-old Frenchman discussed, among other things, his objectives with the Saudi national team, his memories of more than a decade in Africa, and why he likes to have a good relationship with his players wherever he goes.

On being asked about what motivated him move to Asia and accept the Saudi offer, the Saudi Arabia coach said: “Life did. I think it’s important to seek new experiences and strive for success. Yes, I worked for more than a decade in Africa and feel I was successful there, but it was time for a change.

“I wanted to continue working with national teams and had received an offer from Saudi Arabia to take charge of the senior side.

I know the Saudi team very well, as they took part in the most recent edition of the World Cup in Russia and are one of Asia’s heavyweights. You can’t turn down that kind of offer. After all, they are a big name within the game, and I think if we work hard, we’ll achieve what we’re aiming for,” he added.

“The plan was to watch all the players. Luckily, the national league started and we had four teams playing in the AFC Champions League.

“During the first squad get-together over 10 days, we got to know each other and established the foundation of our work. Over time, things improved and everyone just wanted to focus on playing.”