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Ivory Coast Coach Herve Renard
Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard has announced that he would be meeting the country’s football federation president on Wednesday to discuss his future amid reports the Frenchman is on the verge of joining Ligue 1 side Lille.
Renard, who led the Elephants to triumph at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, still has 18 months left on his contract and a release clause of €400,000.
“I will be travelling to Ivory Coast on Wednesday to meet my president, Augustin Sidy Diallo, to discuss my future with the team,” Renard told French radio RMC on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old manager has reiterated his desire to handle a club side and practice daily football unlike a national team.
Lille have indicated they would part ways with current coach René Girard and have prepared a three-year deal, which includes a monthly salary of €60,000, for Renard, if the former Sochaux coach accepts to return to France.
Renard would likely depart with his charismatic assistant trainer Patrice Beaumelle if he accepts Lille’s proposal, leaving the African champions without a coach ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
In a statement last month, the former Zambia coach deplored a financial scandal involving bonuses for Ivory Coast’s victory at the 2015 Afcon, which were partly embezzled by officials yet to be fished out.
According to the Ivorian ministry of interior affairs, more than $800,000 were stolen from the funds destined for the Elephants and the technical staff, which saw the dismissal of the sports minister and a couple of other top officials.
Ivory Coast are in Group I of the 2017 Afcon qualifying against host Gabon, who have already qualified, Sudan and Sierra Leone.