Herve Renard Leaves Zambia By Agreement

Herve Renard (45), the national football coach of Zambia has reached an agreement with the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) for an early released from his contract which is due to expire in 2014, so that he can take up the coaching job of the French ligue 1 club FC Sochaux.

A statement in the Zambia's football association's site read, ''The Football Association of Zambia, hereby announces the release of Herve Renard, from the job of national coach of the Zambia national football team.''

''FAZ and Herve have consulted and it has been agreed not to stand in his way. It is a compliment for a coach working in Africa to be head-hunted, by a top European club. It makes us proud to be able to take ownership, of Herve's rise as a successful international coach.''

Herve Renard

 

''FAZ wishes to thank Renard for his dedication to duty, hard work, proficiency and wish him well, as he takes up his new coaching job,'' the statement added.

Read: melvinsports.blogspot.com

The assistant coach Patrice Beaumelle, will now be incharge of the national team (The Chipolopolo), with immediate effect. His first assignment is the
friendly match, next week on Tuesday (Oct. 15), in Beijing   against Brazil.                                         

Mr Renard, led Zambia to win their first ever African Cup of Nations trophy last year (2012). He also won a personal award of African coach of the year.

After the agreement to let him go and take up the FC Sochaux job, he expressed his appreciation for the opportunity given to him, by the president of the Football Association of Zambia, Mr Kalusha Bwalya, (who is a football legend in the country).

''I would like to thank Kalusha for this opportunity and for allowing me to further my career. I enjoyed working with him and together we did the best to further the development and rise of the Chipolopolo. I wish the team well,'' the coach said.

Mr Renard, began his coaching career in 1999 with SC Dragnignan and left in 2001. From 2002 to 2003 he was the assistant coach to the Chief coach of the Chinese club Shanghai Cosco, Mr Claude le Roy. His fellow country man. In 2004, he became the coach of the English club Cambridge United.

 A year later, he became the coach of AS Cherbourg, 2005 to 2007. Herve joined his former boss, Mr Le Roy, again as his assist to the Ghanian national team.

In 2008, he was appointed the coach of Zambia national team. Two years later in 2010, he left and became the coach of Angola national team. The next year, 2011, he became the coach of Zambia for a second time.

Then in 2012, he won the African Cup of Nations trophy with the team, beating along the way, the favourites - Senegal in the group phase, Ghana in the semi-final and Ivory Coast in the final.