Riyadh: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) announced the extension of the contract of Frenchman Hervé Renard, national team coach, to remain in charge for the next five years, until 2027.
This follows a successful three-year stint which saw the Green Falcons book their spot at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, having topped their qualification group which featured continental giants such as Japan and Australia.
Yasser Almisehal, President of SAFF said, “Our objective for the national team is to provide continuity for the positive results we witnessed in the past three years. In Hervé Renard we believe we have the right man at the helm to lead the national team over the next five years. He has demonstrated great qualities as a tactician in building a clear identity and style of play for the team while achieving great results. This renewal will provide technical stability and help create an environment of trust around the team to be ready for the challenges to come.”
Ambitious project
“We are in the process of building a very ambitious project for Saudi football as a whole and we look to the national team to deliver the results that will reflect this progress,” he added.
The Saudi National team is set to take part in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, in what will be the green falcons’ sixth World Cup participation. This comes following consistent improvement shown by the Saudi National men’s team over the past few years, moving up the FIFA ranking from 70 in 2019, to 49 this month.
Renard said, “From the moment I arrived here I felt like I belong, I felt the passion for football, people’s desire for success and growth and the country’s aspiration to progress and develop. I saw a country full of young talented players. We achieved our first target, let’s work together for the rest. I’m here to stay.”
