Tunisia's new coach Renard takes reins after Lamouchi sacked

Herve Renard has officially taken the reins as Tunisia's new national football coach, stepping in after his predecessor Sabri Lamouchi was sacked following a devastating 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opening World Cup match. Renard, a French national, expressed his eagerness to tackle the challenge of leading the Tunisian squad.

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(When) the federation contacted me, I didn't hesitate for a second. It's a challenge that isn't easy, but it's a motivating challenge.

"(When) the federation contacted me, I didn't hesitate for a second," Renard stated at a press conference on Tuesday after arriving in Monterrey. "It's a challenge that isn't easy, but it's a motivating challenge." Lamouchi's dismissal marked the first coaching casualty of the tournament. He had cited "way too many mistakes" as the cause of the "painful" defeat.

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way too many mistakes

Renard brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously managed Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup, where they famously defeated eventual champions Argentina. He also coached the French women's team and led Saudi Arabia's men's team to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. He met briefly with the Tunisia squad, urging them to "hold our heads high" and "move forward" in representing the country with honor.

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I just told them we have to hold our heads high, we have to move forward ... you're here to represent the country, Tunisia. It's an honour, it's a duty. And we owe it to ourselves to do much better than the result of the first match.

Renard acknowledged the difficult position Lamouchi was in, stating, "As we say, you can't fire the squad, so the one who takes the blame is the coach." Tunisia's next match is against Japan, a team Renard considers the best in Asia. He emphasized the need for his team to focus on themselves and prepare adequately for the upcoming game.

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As we say, you can't fire the squad, so the one who takes the blame is the coach.