Hervé Renard says Senegal dropped interest in him

Hervé Renard has revealed that Senegal considered him for the national-team position before ending its pursuit without informing him. The episode eventually pushed the French coach to answer another approach from Côte d’Ivoire, a country he had long wanted to join.

Renard said Senegal made initial contact, but the wait that followed became unusually long. During that period, the Senegalese side changed its plans and selected a different option, according to his account. He said nobody told him that the decision had shifted, leaving the discussions without a clear conclusion.

Rather than continue waiting, Renard moved forward with the other opportunity. That path took him towards Côte d’Ivoire, where he said he had always wanted to work. He regarded the Senegal matter as finished and offered his good wishes to those involved.

The revelation confirms that Senegal examined Renard’s candidacy for the team that had won the Africa Cup of Nations before taking a different direction. It also explains why the coach’s next move was linked to Côte d’Ivoire instead of the reigning African champions.