Sabri Lamouchi is out as Tunisia coach after one game at the World Cup. The federation announced the decision on national TV on Monday, hours after Sweden hammered the Carthage Eagles 5-1 on Sunday.
Lamouchi, 54, is the first coach in World Cup history to be fired after just one match. He'd only been in charge since January, and he won just one of his five games — a 1-0 victory over Haiti.
His replacement is Herve Renard, the Frenchman who famously led Saudi Arabia to a shock win against eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Since then, Renard has been coaching the France women's national team.
"The president of the Tunisian Football Federation, Moez Nassari, announced that an official agreement had been reached with French coach Herve Renard for him to take charge of the national football team until the end of the 2026 World Cup," the Tunisian public broadcaster said.
Renard takes over a team in deep trouble. The heavy defeat to Sweden leaves Tunisia bottom of Group F with a goal difference of minus four. They face Japan on Saturday, then take on the Netherlands in their final group match.
Lamouchi's sacking is brutal but not surprising. Five goals conceded in one game, zero points, and a mountain to climb just to have a chance of reaching the knockout stage — the federation clearly decided they'd seen enough.
"The president of the Tunisian Football Federation, Moez Nassari, announced that an official agreement had been reached with French coach Herve Renard for him to take charge of the national football team until the end of the 2026 World Cup."
Renard has a reputation for pulling off miracles. His Saudi Arabia side in 2022 pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. Tunisia will be hoping he can work similar magic with just two group games left.
But the numbers are brutal. Tunisia have won only one of their last six matches. They've scored just three goals in that run. And they now face a Japan side that drew 1-1 with the Netherlands, followed by a Netherlands team that will be fighting for top spot in the group.
For Lamouchi, it's a short and painful chapter. The former French international midfielder had a decent playing career, but his coaching record is thin. Before Tunisia, he managed Nottingham Forest in England's Championship, Rennes in France, and the Ivory Coast national team. None of those stints lasted long.
Now Renard has to try to do what no Tunisia coach has done since 2018 — take the team out of the group stage. The Carthage Eagles have never made it past the round of 16.