When asked by AFP whether he had been dismissed from his position, the French coach, who returned to coach the Saudi national team for a second term in late 2024, answered in the affirmative, ending a relationship that lasted about 520 days of his second term.
Renard said in a telephone interview: "This is football. Saudi Arabia has qualified for the World Cup seven times, including twice with me. I am the only coach who has gone through the qualifiers and the World Cup, and that was in 2022. At least this pride will remain."
Renard is the coach who has led the Green team in the most matches, with 68 encounters, after managing the team in two periods, starting with a 1-1 draw with Mali in a friendly on September 5, 2019, and ending with a 1-2 loss to Bolivia on March 28, 2023.
The French coach returned to the "Green" team again when he led them to a goalless draw against Australia on November 14, 2024 in the World Cup qualifiers until the 1-2 loss to Serbia on March 31 in a friendly match.
Overall, Renard won 30 matches with the Saudi national team, lost 22, and drew 16 matches.
Unofficial sources have linked Greek coach Georgios Donis, who manages Al-Khaleej, to succeed Renard.
The Saudi newspaper “Al-Youm” quoted informed sources on its official website as saying that the Saudi Federation has decided to appoint Donis (56 years old) as head of the technical staff of the first national team, in a move aimed at enhancing the team’s readiness for the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer.
Donis is no stranger to Saudi football, having previously coached a number of local clubs, including Al-Hilal, Al-Fateh and Al-Wahda, and currently leading Al-Khaleej, which gives him deep knowledge of the local football environment and its players.
The "Green" team faces a major challenge in the 2026 World Cup, as it was placed in Group H alongside strong teams such as Spain, Uruguay, and Cape Verde.
