Born in Aix-les-Bains, Renard played as a defender for French sides AS Cannes, :fr:Stade de Vallauris|Stade de Vallauris and SC Draguignan in a playing career which lasted from 1983 to 1998. After retiring as a professional player he worked as a cleaner, working there in the morning and training with Draguignan in the evening, eventually starting his own cleaning company.
Coaching career
Early years
Renard began his coaching career with SC Draguignan in 1999, leaving in 2001. He was Assistant at Chinese side Shanghai Cosco with head coach Claude Le Roy from 2002 to 2003, and managed English side Cambridge United in 2004, having first joined the club with Le Roy to serve as a coach. He became manager of Vietnamese club Song Da Nam Dinh in 2004, leaving them after several months. He became manager of AS Cherbourg in 2005, leaving them in 2007. He next became Assistant to Claude Le Roy for the Ghana national side. In May 2008, he was appointed manager of the Zambia national team. At the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, he led Zambia to the quarter final stage of the tournament for the first time in 14 years. Renard left his duties as Zambia manager in April 2010 with only two months remaining on his contract. Two days later he agreed to become manager of Angola. He resigned from his position as Angola manager in October 2010, and was replaced by Zeca Amaral.
On 21 January 2011, Renard reached an agreement with Algerian club USM Alger to become the head coach of the club.
Second spell with Zambia
On 22 October 2011, it was announced that Renard had returned for a second stint as coach of Zambia on a one-year contract. He led the team to their first victory in the African Cup Of Nations in 2012. The win was dedicated to the 18 players who perished in April 1993, after a plane carrying the squad crashed just miles from the site of the 2012 final in Gabon. In May 2012, Chishimba Kambwili, the Zambian sports minister, announced he expected Renard to sign a new contract by the end of the month. After Zambia were eliminated from the group stages of the 2013 African Cup of Nations, Renard said that it was his fault. He later criticised CAF for not allowing Zambia, as the 2012 winners of the AFCON, the chance to compete at the 2013 Confederations Cup. Renard was released from his contract by the Football Association of Zambia in October 2013, in preparation for a role with French club FC Sochaux.
On 7 October 2013 it was announced that Renard was appointed as the new manager of French Ligue 1 side Sochaux. In April 2014 he was linked with the Morocco national job. The club was involved in a relegation fight in May 2014, and after being relegated, he left the club later that month. In July 2014 he was announced to be on the shortlist for the Ivory Coast job.
Ivory Coast
Renard was appointed as manager of the Ivory Coast national team in July 2014. He was manager at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, and praised the organization of the tournament. He won the competition, becoming the first coach to win two Africa Cup of Nations with different countries.
Renard became manager of French club Lille in May 2015. On 11 November 2015, he was sacked after getting only 13 points in 13 league games.
Morocco
In February 2016, Renard was linked with the vacant Morocco national team job. Later that month he was appointed as the new Morocco manager. In October 2016 he was linked with the vacant Algeria national team job. In November 2017, he qualified Morocco to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, their first since 1998. Later that month, he signed a new contract, until 2022. In July 2019 the Moroccan team was eliminated from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, with Renard taking responsibility for the "shock exit". He resigned a few days later, on 15 July 2019.
Saudi Arabia
Later in July 2019 he became manager of Saudi Arabia, the first French to do so. On 10 September 2019, he managed his first official match against Yemen in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, which ended with a surprising 2–2 draw.
Personal life
Renard is in a relationship with Viviane Dièye, the widow of coach Bruno Metsu.
