Renard Defends Regragui: "Leave Him Alone; If He Wins AFCON, We Should Build Him a Statue"
French coach Hervé Renard has spoken out about the criticism directed at Morocco's national team coach, Walid Regragui, during the Africa Cup of Nations. Renard suggested that Regragui deserves a statue for his achievements with the "Atlas Lions."
In a statement to Eurosport regarding the criticism aimed at Regragui, Renard said, "This is not limited to Morocco only. We only need to look at the criticism Didier Deschamps faces, who won the World Cup as a player and as a coach, yet people never stop questioning him. Today, there are more media outlets and social media platforms, which vastly increases the volume of criticism."
He added, "If I were in Walid's shoes, I wouldn't even talk about it [the criticism]. The most important thing for him is that he succeeded in leading the national team to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in an amazing way. Of course, after that, he faced a difficult period with elimination from the round of 16 in the Africa Cup of Nations, but this happens. It's never easy to digest such significant achievements."
Renard further stated that Regragui does not need to settle scores with his critics. "No, he doesn't need to talk about it again. When you are a national team coach, you know where you want to go, and you must ignore everything else. For him, it's harder because he is Moroccan and has many friends who might call to tell him such things. But the most important thing is for him to stay in his own bubble. His work can be discussed as much as you want, and there is nothing to say but congratulations. That's all."
He continued, "He succeeded in the World Cup with a defensive style, relying on counter-attacks, and four years later, he succeeds in the Africa Cup of Nations with a different system and structure. He possesses a wide tactical range and a great ability to adapt to his opponents. This is a significant response to all who criticized him. I know what it's like; I had the opportunity to be the coach of the Moroccan national team, and I have only one word for him: a big salute, and if he wins, we should build him a statue."
He elaborated, "When you succeed in your own country, everyone watches you closely, and every step you take becomes subject to constant analysis and criticism. People expect perfection from you, and any small mistake is quickly exaggerated. It is much harder compared to working outside your homeland, because there is double pressure: delivering excellent results and maintaining the respect and appreciation of your local audience at the same time."
He explained, "We win but we don't play well – we hear this criticism often, even in France. In Morocco, there is immense passion, just as there is in football-loving nations like Brazil or generally across South America. The greater the passion, the greater the enthusiasm, and the harder success becomes."
He concluded, "Leave Walid alone. One day, a president told me: 'You know, if you were a surgeon, no one would come to give you advice during operations because no one has the competence for that. But in football, everyone thinks they are an expert.' I know Walid well, and I will tell him not to get distracted, because deep down, he no longer needs to respond to his critics."
