Roberto Mancini is no longer the coach of Saudi Arabia. After 14 months of disappointments rather than joys, the former Italy coach has reached an agreement with the Saudi Federation for the termination of the princely contract signed after the decision of Mancio to leave the national team. “The Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation and the coach of the national team Roberto Mancini – reads the note – have today reached a joint agreement which provides for the end of the contractual relationship”.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was what happened during the last international break. The draw against Bahrain (0-0) and the defeat against Japan (0-2) during the last two qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup were a blow to the ambitions of the Asian team, which has so far won only five points in four matches. Little, too little for the Federation, especially in light of the high expectations placed on the former Italy coach.