Hervé Renard explains his return to the Ivory Coast Elephants: “It’s a great team”

Appointed head coach of the Ivory Coast on 4 August, the 57-year-old coach discussed the reasons behind his decision.

Having previously managed the Ivory Coast between 2014 and 2015, Hervé Renard marked his first spell in charge with success at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Eleven years on, the French tactician has agreed to return as head coach of the Ivory Coast national team.

When asked on the Canal+ Afrique programme about what prompted him to accept this new challenge, Hervé Renard highlighted the quality of the Ivorian squad and the current momentum building among the Elephants.

“I agreed to return to the Elephants’ dugout eleven years on because it’s a great team. It’s a team with players of the very highest calibre, a country buzzing with excitement, superb momentum, and a side that had a fine World Cup campaign. There’s still room for improvement. So it’s for all these reasons that I accepted the challenge of returning to Côte d’Ivoire.”

Hervé Renard made this statement as he prepares to announce his first squad for the upcoming international break.