Herve Renard has quit as Ivory Coast coach three months after leading the team to the African Nations Cup title.
The Ivory Coast Football Federation said on Friday it had agreed to end the Frenchman’s contract early.
Renard has been linked with the head coach role at Lille with current boss Rene Girard set to leave at the end of the season.
Renard was appointed Ivory Coast coach in July last year and ended the West African nation’s long title drought by winning the African Cup in Equatorial Guinea in February, beating Ghana in a penalty shootout. It was Ivory Coast’s second continental title and first in 23 years.
The victory was also Renard’s second Cup of Nations success as a coach after leading Zambia to victory over Ivory Coast in the 2012 final. The victory with the Ivory Coast in Equatorial Guinea made him the first coach to win the African title with two different countries.
In a statement released by the Ivorian federation, Renard said he was looking to take his career in a “new direction.”
Renard has coached in the French league before, when he was briefly in charge of Sochaux from 2013-14 but couldn’t save them from being relegated from Ligue 1.
The Ivorian federation said Renard was expected to join Lille. Renard’s regular assistant coach, Patrice Beaumelle, was also leaving Ivory Coast and was expected to join Renard at Lille, the Ivorian federation said.
Source: Associated Press
This is a man some idiots keep dismissing as a PE Teacher. yet he goes on to win not one but two Nations cups. just goes to show that if you want to succeed dont listen to cheap Zambian critics. also don’t listen to superstitious critics who always want to ascribe everything to forces such as The devil or God
I agree with you, those who listen to cheap criticism don’t succeed. It is just like people telling Jose Mourinho that he plays boring football and yet the man is winning trophies all over the world.
It is an enormous achievement here in Africa. Renard u ve made a good coaching cv.O le vour.
Better to leave the podium whilst the audience is still applauding.
Best wishes as he really takes a new direction in his career but once he fails,he ll find us again in Afriquie.
This is a very unstable guy. I doubt if he can make it at club level. Anyway French league is of lower standard.
I am sure he will get Kalaba this time.Good opportunity for Zambia.
Sorry Kalaba is past his best. The next for him is to retire.