France Appoints Herve Renard as Coach in Preparation for Women’s World Cup

French football coach, Herve Renard, has been appointed as the new coach for the France women’s team until 2024. This is just in time for this year’s Women’s World Cup, where France will be looking to dominate at the tournament taking place from July 20-Aug. 20 in New Zealand and Australia.

Renard, who was formerly the coach of the Saudi Arabia men’s team, led them to a win against Argentina during last year’s World Cup in Qatar. Renard will soon unveil the squad for the next two friendlies during his presentation on Friday. The team is set to play against Colombia on April 7 and the current Olympic champions, Canada, on April 11.

Ranked fifth in the world, France is determined to win its first-ever World Cup trophy under Renard’s leadership. Renard is no stranger to championship games and, in the past, has led Zambia and Ivory Coast to continental titles over formidable opponents.

Renard’s appointment follows the dismissal of former coach, Corinne Diacre, by the French Football Federation. This decision was taken after team captain Wendie Renard said that she would only consider playing in the World Cup if the coach was replaced. Renard’s departure led to several other international players also stepping back from the national team.

Wendie Renard, who is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in women’s football, played alongside her teammates against Norway, Denmark, and Uruguay last month. However, in 2017, she had been stripped of her captaincy by Diacre after France’s quarter-final exit at the Euro. Later in 2021, Renard regained the armband.

During the European Championship in England, Diacre was criticized for leaving out senior players Amandine Henry and Eugenie Le Sommer, the leading scorer of all time for the national team.