Hervé Renard starts Tunisia salvage job at 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

Sabri Lamouchi has been dismissed after just one World Cup match, a first in the tournament’s history, following Tunisia’s 5-1 defeat by Sweden. Hervé Renard has come in to try to reset the campaign before Japan on Sunday, kick-off at six in the morning.

Renard had been in Saly, Senegal, recovering from his Saudi Arabia exit with partner Viviane and his children, when his agent called at 14.00 local time, 16.00 in France. According to L'Équipe, the agent was with a Tunisian federation official.

The Sweden loss, on top of a 5-0 reverse to Belgium on 6 June and media rows, triggered the change. Renard accepted an ultra-short deal, chasing a third World Cup in succession, and a fourth in eight years if his 2023 Women’s World Cup is included, a distinction otherwise only associated with Didier Deschamps, who is on a run of four since 2014.

He gathered documents in Paris, then flew on Tuesday to Mexico, where the squad is based, with only four or five days before Japan and the Netherlands to follow at one in the morning on Friday. The eight-hour time difference did not worry him, he told a confidant he can go without sleep for days at a World Cup. On arrival he urged players to lift their heads, honour the shirt and do far better.

At his press conference he expressed sympathy for Lamouchi, saying he knows how painful such moments are and that the coach paid the price for the opening game, while players would feel sadness.

Sessions have focused on belief and simplicity, with Renard demanding compact lines, quick decisions and shots. He switched between French and English, and held one-to-ones at the hotel. Familiar with Japan from Saudi qualifiers, which finished 0-2 and 0-0, he views them as Asia’s best, calling the task exciting but very difficult.

Renard has asked his squad to ignore social media, keep clear minds and concentrate on the tournament. He appealed to their pride, reminding them it took four years and two of qualifiers to get here, and called for an immediate reaction against Japan.

Source: L'Équipe