Roberto Mancini has walked away from his position as Saudi Arabia manager after 14 months, reaching a “joint agreement” to end his contract early, as announced by the Saudi Football Federation.
Mancini, who previously coached Inter Milan and Manchester City, signed a lucrative four-year contract in August last year, shortly after leaving the Italy national team. However, his tenure with the Green Falcons faced significant challenges.
The 59-year-old managed only seven wins in 18 matches, resulting in a disappointing win percentage of just under 39%. This has left Saudi Arabia struggling to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
In contrast, Mancini’s predecessor, Herve Renard, achieved 20 wins in 45 matches (44.4%) and arguably faced tougher challenges, including leading Saudi Arabia during the 2022 World Cup, where they famously defeated eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in their opening group game.
“The Saudi Football Federation announces that it has reached an agreement to terminate the contract of national team coach Roberto Mancini and confirms that the name of the new coach will be announced within days,” the statement said.
Mancini, who guided Italy to the Euro 2020 title during a successful career, experienced a strained relationship with Saudi fans by the end of his tenure.
He was booed off the pitch following the most recent match, a goalless home draw against Bahrain, which left Saudi Arabia in third place in Group C of the third round of World Cup qualifying, five points behind leaders Japan and tied with Australia.
The team is set to face Australia in a crucial match in Melbourne on November 14.
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Throughout his time, Mancini frequently voiced concerns about the limited playing time many of his players were getting at their clubs due to the influx of foreign talent in the Saudi Pro League. He urged his squad to take greater responsibility amid growing criticism of his leadership.
Photo credit: REUTERS
Mancini’s first match in charge ended in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Costa Rica in September of last year, and he went winless in his first four games before finally achieving a second-round World Cup qualifying victory over Pakistan.
He was at the helm during the 2023 Asian Cup, where Saudi Arabia was eliminated in the Round of 16 after losing to South Korea in a penalty shootout. He faced criticism for leaving the match before South Korea took their final penalty, for which he later issued an apology.
In the ongoing third round of Asian World Cup qualifying, Saudi Arabia has experienced a home loss to Japan and drawn both at home and away against Indonesia and Bahrain, following an opening victory against China. Only the top two teams from each group will secure spots in the 2026 World Cup.
Following the draw against Bahrain, Yasser Al Misehal, president of the Saudi Football Federation, stated that any decision regarding Mancini’s future would be made after careful deliberation and would not be influenced by emotional factors.
“We cannot evaluate at the present time, especially in a time of anger and sadness,” he said last week. “We cannot evaluate and take opinions in this situation. God willing, we will sit with the technical management on Wednesday, and God willing, nothing but good will happen.
“I did not make any decision regarding the coach’s fate, but we will study all matters. Give us a few days, and God willing, after that, nothing but good will happen.”
