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The coach who led Saudi Arabia to victory over Argentina who stunned the world today is a colorful character whose glamorous partner was previously married to another international manager who himself oversaw a famous World Cup shock.
Saudi manager Herve Renard (54) has a relationship with Viviane Dièye, the widow of Senegalese national coach Bruno Metsu, who died of cancer in 2013.
Just as Renard himself caused a global sensation today, so did his partner’s former husband 20 years ago when he led Senegal to a first-round victory over then world champions France.
Renard and Dièye, who both had three children, fell in love after Metsu’s death when Herve was manager of Morocco and became an item.
The couple is rumored to be getting married soon.
Renard has three children: Candice, Kevin and Audrey. Candice has become quite famous in France, appearing in a number of reality TV shows.
Saudi manager Herve Renard (right), 54, is in a relationship with Viviane Dièye (left)
She is the widow of Senegalese national coach Bruno Metsu (left), who died of cancer in 2013.
The 25-year-old fell victim to a vicious attack during her father’s tenure as manager of Morocco when she was attacked after a match in the Ivory Coast.
Renard was left almost in tears after the incident that happened when Candice was waiting for him outside the team’s locker room when she was caught in a fight with angry local fans – and hit by guards with batons. She later had to be carried away.
He said afterwards: ‘I don’t understand how people can behave like that towards my daughter.’
Viviane, who is from Senegal, met her first husband in Italy and he converted to Islam as their relationship developed.
Mrs. Dièye started in Morocco, where she lived when Renard led the national team. She owns and runs a sporting goods store in a shopping center in Casablanca
With her first husband, she had three children, Enzo, Noah and Maeva – and she is also stepmother to a fourth, Remy, from Metu’s previous relationship.
Renard has three children: Candice, Kevin and Audrey. The 25-year-old fell victim to a vicious attack during her father’s tenure as manager of Morocco when she was attacked after a match in the Ivory Coast.
After Metsu’s death, she gave an interview to a Gulf publication talking about “how she could proudly say she had spent a great decade by his side”
French-born Renard is known for wearing his lucky white shirt.
By his own account, he was an average player whose career in the bottom of the French leagues ended in 1998 when he suffered a career-ending knee injury.
He began coaching at low-class SC Drguignan, showing up for evening coaching sessions after getting up at 2:30am to work as an office cleaner.
He would eventually start his own industrial cleaning business, but never lost his love of football and after spells coaching in China and Vietnam was appointed manager of Cambridge United in the UK in 2004.
The job lasted for months before being sacked as Cambridge were relegated from the football league. He won four of his 26 games in charge.
His fortunes turned around in 2010 after working for several national teams in Asia and Africa.
Candice has become quite famous in France and appears in a number of reality TV shows
He led Zambia and Ivory Coast to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2015.
Three years ago, he signed a deal to coach the Saudi national team after being sacked as coach of the Moroccan team – despite taking them to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In contrast to Renard’s colorful life story, the heroic Saudi Arabian football team maintains a very low profile – and is as far removed from the glitzy and glamorous lifestyle that many of the other World Cup stars enjoy.
While they enjoy bumper salaries in the Saudi pro league, they don’t flaunt their wealth with Instagram photos of their expensive cars or visits to five-star resorts.
And there’s not a WAG in sight on any of their social media sites.
Only two of the ‘Green Falcons’ who were part of the sensational victory over tournament favorites Argentina actually have active social media profiles.
The Instagram accounts of Saleh Al-Sheri – who scored the equalizer against Lionel Messi’s coveted side – and Nawaf Al Abed simply show the players involved in matches or on the training pitch.
Only two of the ‘Green Falcons’ who were part of the sensational victory over tournament favorites Argentina actually have active social media profiles
The Instagram accounts of Saleh Al-Sheri – who scored the equalizer against Lionel Messi’s coveted side – and Nawaf Al Abed simply show the players involved in matches or on the training ground
There are no selfies in beach resorts and being Muslim, there is not a drop of alcohol in the photos posted to their followers.
Al Sheri’s most recent post showed him walking down the stairs of the plane that flew the team to Qatar.
The 29-year-old player is one of the few in the Saudi squad to have played abroad during his career.
He had a brief stint with Portuguese side Beira-Mar, but has spent most of his career playing domestic football in the Arab kingdom.
The team’s match winner, left winger Salem Al-Dawsari, almost played in Europe four years ago.
Under a cooperation agreement between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Spain’s La Liga, he was loaned to Villarreal.
Al-Dawsari made one appearance as a substitute on the last day of the 2017-18 season against Real Madrid.
The 31-year-old is a man with one club and has made 309 appearances for Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia’s top national team.
Most of the other Saudi players have graduated from juniors to make the national team and have yet to attract the attention of European clubs.
Given Argentina’s heroism in keeping Argentina out, that could all change if Europe’s top clubs look to strengthen their squads.