Roberto Mancini (Italy), considered one of the world’s greatest coaches, has left the Saudi Arabian men’s national soccer team after 14 months due to poor results.
The Saudi Arabian Football Association announced on the national team’s social media that it has “mutually terminated the contractual relationship with coach Mancini.”
Roberto, who took over the reins of the Saudi national team in August last year, will leave the organization after about a year and two months in charge.
Mancini parted ways with the Saudis due to poor results, with a win-loss record of eight wins, seven draws, and five defeats in 20 matches, a 40 percent win rate.
Mancini is a master at the top of the game, 토토사이트 having coached in the Italian Serie A, English Premier League (EPL), and UEFA’s European Championships.
Saudi Arabia, backed by the deep pockets of its sovereign wealth fund (PIF), paid Mancini a hefty salary to take the reins.
According to Qatari media outlet Al-Qasr, Mancini’s annual salary is $22 million.
Despite his reputation, Mancini’s performance has been less than stellar.
At the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which concluded in Qatar in February, the national team was knocked out in the round of 16 by South Korea, led by former Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann.
The team’s struggles continued in Group C of the third Asian qualifying round for the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026, where they finished third with one win, two draws and one loss.
In the third qualifying round, only the first and second place finishers advance directly to the World Cup. Although the third round is not yet over, the Saudi Arabian Football Association has decided to part ways with Mancini due to growing public opinion.