French coach Renard back in charge of Saudi Arabia

PARIS (Agencies): Saudi Arabia have reappointed Frenchman Herve Renard as manager to replace Roberto Mancini, the Gulf country’s national team announced on Saturday. The 56-year-old, who was in charge of the Saudis from 2019 to 2023, takes over from Italian Mancini who left the position on Thursday by mutual agreement after 14 months in the job. “I am back,” Renard, clad in Saudi traditional costume, said in a video published on the Saudi national team’s X social media account. His contract runs until the end of 2025 with an option to extend through the 2027 Asian Cup, the team said in a statement. Renard had left his job with the Saudis to lead France’s women’s team at the World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympics. “I did not intend to leave. But when your country knock on your door, you have to respond,” he said in the video. During his fist spell, he led Saudi Arabia to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they surprisingly beat eventual champions Argentina in their opener. “I did not finish my story with Saudi yet. And thank God, I am back,” added the Frenchman. He will resume his duties with the Saudis on Oct. 27, with their next World Cup qualifiers away to Australia and Indonesia in November kicking off his second stint, the team added. Saudi Arabia are third in Group C of Asia’s third round of World Cup preliminaries with five points. They are five points adrift of group leaders Japan after four matches. They lost 2-0 at home to Japan on Oct. 10 before being held to a scoreless draw by Bahrain five days later. The top two in each group advance automatically to the World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed sides go into another round of preliminaries with the bottom two finishers eliminated.