Former Ivory Coast boss Herve Renard joins Lille as coach

Herve Renard has signed a three-year deal as coach of French club Lille, after his resignation as boss of Africa Cup of Nations winners Ivory Coast.

He led unfancied Zambia to the trophy three years earlier.

"It's an honour to come to such a prestigious club as Lille," Renard told the club's website.

"This is among my best days as a coach. I am really impressed with the club's training centre and I'm keen to begin the adventure with the squad."

Renard will be joined at Lille by his assistant with Ivory Coast, Patrice Beaumelle.

Lille's chairman Michel Seydoux said the club's ambitions matched those of their new coach.

"What drew me to Herve Renard, apart from the honours he has won as a coach in Africa, is that his ideas match the goals of Lille," he said.

"Also that he wants to join us to write a new chapter in the history of Lille together."

Renard replaces Rene Girard who ended his two-year stay at the Ligue 1 side following Saturday's 4-1 win over Metz, which saw Lille finish seventh in the league.

"My adventure with Ivory Coast was exceptional. And I sincerely think that the best moment to end our collaboration is after such a success," he told reporters in Abidjan on Friday as he resigned.

"I hope that my future club will allow me to advance to another level, and I hope, like any self-respecting coach, to one day participate in the European Champions League."

"We thank Mr Renard for our collaboration, for the work he did at the head of the national team," said Pierre Gondo, spokesman for the Ivorian Football Federation.

"We expressed to him our regret to see this collaboration end so soon."