France head coach Hervé Renard: “I am not a dictator.”

Hervé Renard spoke about his leadership style in a recent interview with Téléfoot which followed his appointment as new head coach of the France women’s side.

 Renard stated “I am not a dictator, on the contrary. If I do not have very human relationships in everything I undertake, I get bored…”

Renard first gained recognition as the manager of the Zambia national team, leading them to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 2012. He continued his success by going on to coach the Ivory Coast national team, where he won the Africa Cup of Nations once again in 2015.

This made him the first coach to win the competition with two different teams, cementing his status as one of the most successful coaches in African football.

Renard’s talent as a coach also earned him a spot at the 2018 World Cup with Morocco, where he guided the team to an impressive showing. His skills as a motivator and strategist were on full display when he led Saudi Arabia to a historic 2-1 victory over Argentina in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup. Renard also spoke about the half-time images which saw him angrily motivating his players to try and win the game. 

“It’s a bit too reductive, yes,” said the Frenchman about the now-famous footage of him, “I am someone, in life, who is not at all like in this picture. I’m completely different, it’s paradoxical…”

Despite eventually being knocked out of the tournament, the win against Argentina remains one of the most memorable moments of the tournament, and a testament to Renard’s ability to inspire his team to victory against formidable opponents.

GFFN | George Boxall