Renard's private pep talk ahead of Arab Cup semis: focus, not fear
12 December 2025
Renard's Private Message Before the Arab Cup Semi-Final
Hervé Renard, the head coach of the Saudi national team, sent a private message to the Green Falcons' players after securing a spot in the Arab Cup semi-finals.
The Saudi side defeated Palestine 2-1 after extra time in a quarterfinal that stretched to 120 minutes.
The Green Falcons now wait in the semi-finals for the winner of Jordan vs Iraq.
Al-Riyadia newspaper reported that Renard, in a session with the players before today’s Friday training, urged them to give their maximum effort in the next match.
The French coach also asked them not to dwell on the opponent’s name and to focus on winning the next game.
Renard had allocated recovery sessions only for those who played Palestine, while the rest trained technically and physically at Aspire.
Punchline 1: If motivation were a goal, Renard just signed it in triplicate. Punchline 2: The whistle is mightier than the sword—and apparently louder than our popcorn.
