After leading Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup, Hervé Renard returned to the Green Falcons bench a year ago, following the ousting of Roberto Mancini. Based in Riyadh, the former coach of Les Bleues extolled the merits of the wealthy oil country during an interview with L'Equipe, slipping a tackle at France in the process.
“We are lucky to live here (in Saudi Arabia) in a country without any insecurity, which is priceless. Insecurity is the worst evil in France today. We feel it, it is palpable », Launched the 57-year-old French coach.
“ Otherwise, here, I feel free, he continued.
But my position is special, obviously… Progress has been made: when I arrived in 2019, women could not drive, they could not travel alone without authorization. »
Hervé Renard: “This country is moving forward at high speed”
The former coach of Sochaux and Lille then wanted to highlight the progress made by Saudi Arabia in recent years. And this despite the fact that the country is still regularly singled out for non-respect of human rights and freedoms.
“ Before 2017 and the coming to power of “MBS” (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman), there was still pressure from the religious police (the Mutawa, responsible for enforcing the strict application of Islamic law), he indicated. Eight years is short, on the scale of the construction and evolution of a country. A lot has been done in a short time and this country is moving forward at great speed. » Words that are sure to provoke a reaction.
