Three options, none of which are ideal… Who is best suited to succeed Renard as manager of the Saudi national team?

Since the end of those two matches, the call for Renard’s dismissal has become the overriding demand within Saudi football circles, whether from fans, the media or former ‘Green’ stars.

These calls have intensified in recent hours, particularly after the French newspaper L’Équipe revealed Renard’s desire to leave his role as Saudi Arabia’s manager and take charge of Ghana’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Some have argued that the French coach’s continued presence following these reports is an insult to Saudi football and diminishes the national team’s chances of performing well and, consequently, progressing beyond the group stage at the World Cup.

Everyone began putting forward a list of names to lead the Saudi national team at the World Cup as Renard’s successor, whilst fans were left wondering which of the options put forward would be the most suitable choice.

Initially, there was talk of appointing a foreign manager from outside the Roshen League to lead the Saudi national team at the World Cup, with the most prominent name being Walid Regragui, the former manager of the Moroccan national team.

The main aim of this choice is the experience a coach like El-Rakraki brings to the World Cup, having led the Moroccan national team to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, making them the first Arab and African team to achieve this feat.

However, this advantage will be offset by certain drawbacks, the most notable being the new coach’s – in this case, El-Rakraki’s – lack of familiarity with the Saudi national team players, their culture and their temperaments, which will make it difficult for him to adapt to them.

This was the biggest problem faced by the Italian Roberto Mancini, the former manager of the Saudi national team, as several players complained about the way he dealt with them, which was reflected in the poor results of the ‘Green Falcons’ under his leadership.

This problem is even more pronounced given the tight schedule, as the new coach will not meet the Saudi national team players until at most two weeks before the start of the 2026 World Cup finals next June.

It will be difficult for the new foreign coach to get to know the players personally and get used to their personalities, let alone convey his tactical ideas to them, during such a short period, which will make his mission even more prone to failure.

The second solution that has emerged to avoid such shortcomings is to appoint a foreign manager currently in charge of one of the Saudi Pro League clubs this season.

Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, manager of Al-Nassr, is considered the leading candidate in this category, alongside Italian Simone Inzaghi, German Matthias Jaissle, and Northern Irishman Brendan Rodgers, who manage Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsia respectively.

The advantage of this solution is that these coaches already understand the nature of Saudi players and know them specifically on both a personal and technical level, thanks to their experience in the Roshen League, whether during the current season or previous ones.

However, this advantage is offset by other drawbacks, the most notable being that these managers will not begin planning for the Saudi national team until after the end of the current season, given the intense competitions they are currently engaged in with their clubs.

Jesus, Inzaghi and Yaisle are competing in the Saudi Pro League, with eight matches remaining for each team, as well as the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, in which Al-Hilal are playing the final.

Inzaghi could play 13 matches in two months with Al-Hilal until the end of the season, compared to 12 for Yaisle with Al-Ahli and 11 for Jesus with Al-Nassr, whilst Rodgers will play no more than eight matches with Al-Qadisiyah, meaning there is no time to think about the national team.

Furthermore, the new manager will face accusations from rival fans of favouring his own players and selecting them for the final squad at the expense of others who were more deserving.

Such accusations may seem commonplace for any manager taking charge of the national team – and Renard himself faces them – but they will be far more intense if a manager from a specific club is brought in for the role, which would create an unwanted division ahead of the World Cup.

To avoid all these shortcomings, the third option appears to be the best solution: appointing a national coach to lead the Saudi national team at the 2026 World Cup finals.

Saad Al-Shehri, the manager of Al-Ittifaq, is considered the leading candidate for the role, whilst Khalid Al-Atwi, who has managed the same club and several age-group Saudi national teams in recent years, has also emerged as a contender.

A national coach has many advantages, the most notable being his knowledge of Saudi players, their personalities and their culture, which will shorten the period needed for them to get to know one another during the short time leading up to the World Cup.

It will be easier for a national coach to motivate the Saudi national team players and boost their morale, which will go some way towards compensating for the technical aspects that may not be fully conveyed during the short period before the World Cup.

Looking at the two names under consideration, Saad Al-Shehri and Khalid Al-Atwi, they have the advantage of not being affiliated with any of the top clubs, which will reduce accusations that they favour one team over another.

Even on a technical level, both coaches have distinguished careers, particularly with the Saudi national youth teams, meaning they have a thorough understanding of how to manage at international level, especially within the Kingdom.

Saad Al-Shehri has an advantage over Al-Atwi, namely the turnaround he has achieved at Al-Ittifaq since taking charge at the start of 2025, following a period of chaos and disarray under former English manager Steven Gerrard.

However, if Al-Shehri is to be retained, it would be best for him to step down from coaching Al-Ittifaq for the remainder of the season and focus on the Saudi national team, by attending matches of the various squads and beginning to draw up his plans for the World Cup.

If, however, Al-Shehri insists on continuing his tenure with Al-Ittifaq for the remainder of the current season, it would be better to resort to an alternative solution: bringing in coach Khalid Al-Atwi, so that he can devote himself fully to the Saudi national team as soon as possible.

Click here to read article