Where next for Saudi Arabia after Herve Renard’s exit?

Saying Saudi Arabia has a big hole to fill after the sudden departure of Herve Renard might just be the biggest understatement of the year, and we are only in April.

Renard’s name had been linked with the vacant French women’s national team role, but few really expected he would leave his job in Saudi Arabia, where he had achieved so much and stood to achieve so much more.

With qualification for the 2026 World Cup due to begin later this year, and the Asian Cup, for which Saudi Arabia are one of the favorites, in January and February of next year, it is far from an ideal time to be losing your coach.

But calling the Frenchman just a coach would be doing him a disservice; Renard was so much more than just a coach for Saudi Arabia.

In pure coaching terms Saudi Arabia may be able to replace Renard, especially when you consider some of the names being linked with the now vacant post — the likes of Jorge Jesus, Marcelo Gallardo and even Roberto Mancini and Zinedine Zidane — but the elegant Frenchman offered so much more than just Xs and Os.

A two-time winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, most remarkably with unfancied Zambia in 2013, he also qualified Morocco for the World Cup in 2018, their first appearance at the global showpiece in 20 years.

His track record in the game demanded respect. While Saudi Arabia qualified for Russia 2018, their opening day humiliation did little to further their international reputation. Much of the past four years was about earning back that respect, and the mere presence of Renard went a long way to achieving that.

As qualifying for Qatar 2022 continued and the fruits of Renard’s labor were bearing fruit, with Saudi Arabia finishing ahead of both Japan and Australia, his standing only