Roberto Mancini has left his position as Saudi Arabia’s national team manager by mutual consent, bringing an end to his brief and troubled tenure that began in August 2023.
The former Manchester City manager’s eight-month spell was marked by controversy and disappointing results. The 59-year-old Italian faced significant challenges, most notably during January’s Asian Cup when he became embroiled in a public dispute with three players – Salman Al-Faraj, Sultan Al-Ghannam, and goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi – whom he claimed wanted to select which matches they would play in. All three players strongly refuted these allegations.
His Asian Cup campaign ended in further controversy when he left the touchline before South Korea’s decisive penalty in their shootout victory over Saudi Arabia, later apologizing and explaining he thought the match had concluded.
Throughout his tenure, Mancini frequently voiced concerns about the limited playing time for Saudi-born forwards in the domestic league, which has attracted numerous high-profile players from European clubs. His team’s World Cup qualifying campaign also faltered, with unexpected draws against lower-ranked nations Bahrain and Indonesia.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation confirmed that both parties have reached an agreement to terminate Mancini’s contract.
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