Football
9y

Herve Renard would consider leaving Ivory Coast if right offer comes along

African Nations Cup-winning coach Herve Renard has told RMC he will consider quitting his post with Ivory Coast should he get "a high-level" job offer.

Having come to prominence by steering Zambia to a shock African Nations Cup win in 2012, Renard then became the first man to win the competition with two different countries when Ivory Coast defeated Ghana on penalties in Sunday's final in Equatorial Guinea.

Although he signed a two-year contract when he took over from Sabri Lamouchi following the Elephants' group-stage exit at the World Cup last summer, Renard has suggested he will move on if the right job comes along.

"Right now, I don't know. Everything will depend on the opportunities. I have a year-and-a-half on my contract, but if I get a proposition that interests me and is of quite a high level, I'm able to say that it's an offer I'm interested in and we can talk about it," said Renard, who quit as Zambia coach to take over at Ligue 1 club Sochaux in October 2013, narrowly failing to save them from relegation.

"I had two years, plus another two years, to win a Nations Cup. That's done in six months. It was perhaps unexpected, but it's done. We now have to see what the other objectives are, in which direction we want to go.

"We have to sit down and talk about it calmly, but we must savour this success above all. Today, the Ivorians feel a pride that you can only understand when you work in these countries."

Having played in the amateur leagues of his native France, Renard was a coaching journeyman -- taking in China, Ghana, Angola, Algeria and even England during a short spell at Cambridge United -- before his success with Zambia.

Now, however, he is seen as a credible appointment for Ligue 1 clubs, and after missing out on the Lyon job to Hubert Fournier last year, Renard's name has been linked to St Etienne should Christophe Galtier leave next summer.

"It's not up to me to answer that. It requires Christophe Galtier to no longer be St Etienne coach, which is not the case for the moment," Renard said, adding he had been disappointed to miss out on the Lyon job.

"Of course, who wouldn't like to coach Lyon? It would have been exceptional, but perhaps it wasn't the right time. It's destiny that decided and took me to Ivory Coast to win a second Nations Cup. You know, I have come out of nowhere. I was a more-than-average player, I started coaching in the fifth division. Everything that is happening to me is just wonderful."

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