Olivier Renard has reportedly left his position as CF Montreal’s Technical Director and the club CEO.
An insider confirmed that the Major League Soccer outfit, FC Montreal, have shown their club’s chief soccer officer Renard the exit door.
Reports stated that the relationship between Renard and the club owner Joey Saputo had been a course for concern for some time which has now led to his departure.
The former Belgium national team goalkeeper and a native of Haine-St-Paul joined the MLS club in 2019 after he departed Belgian club side Royal Antwerp.
Olivier Renard has been with FC Montreal since September 2019, when he was named technical director of the club.
In June 2022, he was promoted to the position of the club CEO, signing an indefinite contract extension.
Under Renard, the club has seen four managerial changes with the hiring of former Arsenal player Thierry Henry in 2019, Wilfried Nancy in 2021, Hernan Losada in 2022, and Laurent Courtois in January 2023.
Why does Olivier Renard leave FC Montreal?
It was revealed on Friday, May 3, that the Belgian International and club owner Saputo had an issue when Mathieu Choiniere, the club midfielder tendered a transfer request after a contract extension talk collapsed between the player and the club.
Meanwhile, the club owner was the one behind Choiniere’s transfer request as the player approaches his last season with the club.
However, Olivier Renard was ready to offer Choiniere the $600,000 he demanded but Joey Saputo interfered which provoked Renard since he was interested in keeping the aforementioned midfielder.
Renard grew tired of working in such an environment and expressed his desire to leave.
Who is Olivier Renard?
Olivier Renard is a former Belgian national team goalkeeper who was born on May 24, 1979.
Olivier Renard Management career
Renard started his management career with KV Mechelen as a sporting director in January 2014. He departed the club in February 2016, to join Standard Liege. In the summer of 2018, he became the head of scouting under the head of the sporting director. On May 20, 2019, he left the club by mutual consent.
He was signed as a sports consultant at Royal Antwerp in June 2019, He left the club again on 29 September 2019, when it was announced that Renard had signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit FC Montreal, as the sporting director.
On June 9, 2022, CF Montreal elevated Olivier Renard to vice president and chief sporting officer in a new agreement for an indefinite period. Rather than signing a new contract, Renard was made a permanent employee of the club.
In May 2024, he left Montreal due to a disagreement between him and the club owner.
What’s next for Olivier Renard?
It remains to be seen where the 44-year-old former Belgium goalkeeper will be heading next as he will remain a free agent.
