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    World Cup: What Herve Renard told Saudi Arabia during the half-time team talk vs Argentina

    Emma TeeBy No Comments2 Mins Read

    • What Herve Renard said to Saudi Arabia in half-time team talk against Argentina.

    What Herve Renard told Saudi Arabia during the half-time team talk vs Argentina
    World Cup: What Herve Renard told Saudi Arabia during the half-time team talk vs Argentina

    Before the World Cup, if you didn’t know Herve Renard, a two-time African Cup of Nations winner with Zambia and Ivory Coast.  You may have heard about the Saudi Arabian manager’s team’s historic opening victory over Argentina.

    In fact, it was so significant that the government of the nation proclaimed Wednesday a national holiday.

    Now, a video of Renard’s motivational team speech has surfaced. He gave it at halftime with his team trailing 1-0 to one of the tournament favourites and facing an uphill battle in the second half.

    And they did, with the help of breath-taking goals from Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari, to secure a historic victory. Clearly, the coach’s words had the desired impact.

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    With hair like that, we should have guessed he knows how to use the hairdryer treatment. To fire up his team, Renard started with a simple question: “What are we doing here?”

    He continues with intensity, telling his players that pressing doesn’t mean stopping to take out their phones and snap a photo of Lionel Messi.

    “He has the ball. You are in front of their defence! He has nobody!” Renard shouts.

    Renard steps it up a notch by using his translator to race around the changing room to show his players how nimble he wants them to be.

    The Frenchman engages his players emotionally before sending them back out onto the field, pleading with them to react to the situation.

    “You don’t feel something!?” he asks. “Did you see what you did!? You don’t feel we are going to come back!? You don’t feel it!? They play relaxed. Come on! Come on, guys! This is the World Cup! Give everything!”

    And respond they did, with this half-time team talk now earning iconic status alongside the win itself.