Roberto Mancini has left his role as head coach of Saudi Arabia's national football team after just 14 months, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) confirmed Thursday. The Italian manager's departure follows a rocky tenure marked by underwhelming results in key tournaments 🏆.
Under Mancini, the team won 7 of 18 matches, with a lackluster performance in 2026 World Cup qualifiers (1 win in 4 games) and an early exit from January's AFC Asian Cup. A tense moment in the Asian Cup round of 16 saw Mancini controversially leave the pitch before South Korea's winning penalty kick 🤯. He later apologized for the move, which drew heavy criticism.
The coach had also voiced concerns about Saudi Pro League clubs signing foreign stars at the expense of local players: "Three years ago, all Saudi players played every game. Today? 50-60% don't," he said earlier this month. ⚡
With Saudi Arabia currently third in their World Cup qualifying group, the SAFF plans to announce Mancini's replacement "in the next few days" ahead of a crucial November match against Australia 🇦🇺.
