Roberto Mancini has quit as head coach of Saudi Arabia's national team
Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
The Saudi Arabian national football team, despite significant financial investments in their domestic league, has been delivering poor results recently, leading the country's Football Federation to take drastic action.
Details: It was officially announced today that legendary Italian manager Roberto Mancini has stepped down as head coach of the Saudi Arabian national team.
Mancini's contract with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation was supposed to run until the end of 2027, but both sides mutually agreed to terminate it. He had taken up the role in the summer of 2023.
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The reason for his departure is the unsatisfactory performance of the "Desert Falcons" recently. Under Mancini’s management, Saudi Arabia was eliminated from the 2024 AFC Asian Cup in the Round of 16, losing to South Korea on penalties.
In the Third Round of 2026 World Cup qualification, Saudi Arabia currently sits third in their group, level on points with Australia and Bahrain.
Reminder: Before managing Saudi Arabia, Mancini coached the Italian national team, leading them to the Euro 2020 title. At the club level, he is known for his work with Inter Milan, Manchester City, Lazio, and Galatasaray.
