Tunisia Appoints Hervé Renard as New Coach Following World Cup Defeat to Sweden
Sabri Lamouchi, the first coaching casualty of the tournament, was appointed in January on a contract extending until 2028. He departs from his role with upcoming matches against Japan on Saturday and the Netherlands on June 25.
During his tenure, Tunisia managed only one victory in five matches under Lamouchi, triumphing over Haiti 1-0 in March. However, the squad suffered a 1-0 defeat to Austria and faced a staggering 5-0 loss to Belgium in two World Cup warm-up matches earlier this month.
In a statement released on social media Tuesday, the Tunisian Football Federation (TFT) announced that Hervé Renard would assume the coaching position until the conclusion of Tunisia's World Cup campaign.
"The agreement also stipulates that negotiations will commence after the World Cup to explore a long-term partnership based on specific sporting objectives," the statement elaborated.
The state-owned broadcaster, Television Tunisienne, reported that Renard is expected to arrive in Monterrey later on Tuesday to join the squad.
Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, previously coached Saudi Arabia during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he led them to a remarkable victory over the eventual champions, Argentina, in the group stage.
He then transitioned to coach the French women's team for the 2023 World Cup and the Paris Olympics, before returning to Saudi Arabia and assisting the men's team in qualifying for a third consecutive World Cup.
Eventually, he was succeeded by Georgios Donis in the lead-up to the tournament.
