Former San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will manage France in its qualifiers next year for the World Baseball Classic.

France has never qualified for the World Baseball Classic, which will be held next in 2021.

Bochy, who retired as the Giants' manager after the 2019 season, was born in 1955 in Landes de Bussac, France, where his father was stationed in the Army.

"I've been thinking a while about what's next in my life after managing the Giants," Bochy said in the statement announcing his hiring. "I want to stay involved and give back to baseball. Managing France is a perfect example of how I can help develop the game."

Bochy, 64, led San Francisco to three World Series championships and 1,052 regular-season victories in 13 seasons.

Overall, he managed 25 seasons in the major leagues for the San Diego Padres and Giants and had a career record of 2,003-2,029.