Roberto Mancini, former Manchester City boss, has mutually agreed with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to terminate his contract as national team manager.
Mancini, 59, had a challenging experience as Saudi Arabia’s manager starting in August 2023, right after stepping down as Italy’s head coach.
Before the Asian Cup kickoff, he announced that three players had been left out as they supposedly desired control over their game choices.
Former captain Salman Al-Faraj, Sultan Al-Ghannam, and goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi all vehemently denied the allegation, stating that they had never sought control over their game choices.
Before South Korea’s final penalty in a shootout that eliminated Saudi Arabia, Mancini, in a moment of human error, apologized for leaving the tunnel early, mistakenly thinking the match had ended.
Mancini’s recurring grievance revolves around the lack of opportunities for homegrown forwards in the Saudi Pro League, predominantly composed of star signings from top European clubs.
During their 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Saudi Arabia, coached by Mancini, has struggled and had unexpected draws against lower-ranked teams like Bahrain and Indonesia.