Al Sadd appoint Mancini as manager: two-year deal, targets Asia CL | OneFootball

Roberto Mancini returns to a club bench after his experiences as head coach of Italy and Saudi Arabia. The coach from the Marche region, one of the most successful in European football, has been announced as the new manager of Al Sadd, one of the most prestigious clubs in the Qatari league.

Al Sadd, Roberto Mancini is the new manager: two-year contract and the goal of the Asian Champions League

The agreement between Mancini and the Doha club includes a two-and-a-half-year contract, with a salary estimated at around 5 million euros net per season. The main objective is to bring Al Sadd back to the top of Asian football, aiming for qualification to the final stage of the AFC Champions League, a competition the club has not won in almost fifteen years.

A new technical staff with familiar faces from Serie A

Mancini’s sporting project will also include two figures well known to Italian football fans. Massimo Maccarone, former striker for Empoli and Siena, and Cesar, former defender for Lazio and Inter, will both be part of the staff.

“We want to build a competitive and motivated group,” Mancini reportedly told Qatari executives during the first meetings in Doha. “Al Sadd has a great tradition and can return to being a leading player on the Asian stage.”

From Serie A rumors to the Qatari choice

In recent months, Mancini’s name had been linked to several Italian and European benches. After the dismissals of Igor Tudor at Juventus and Ivan Juric at Atalanta, a possible return to Serie A was speculated. Nottingham Forest, in the Premier League, was also said to have sounded out the availability of the former Azzurri coach.

In the end, what convinced Mancini was the project presented by Emir Al Thani, owner of Al Sadd, who guaranteed him full technical freedom and targeted investments to strengthen the team.

Objectives and prospects

The challenge for Mancini will be twofold: to rebuild a team that is competitive at the continental level and to relaunch his own career in international club football. His official debut on the Al Sadd bench is expected by the end of November, coinciding with the resumption of the Qatari league.

With his arrival, the club aims not only for sporting results but also for a qualitative leap in terms of visibility and working methods, enhancing local talent through a technical structure with a European outlook.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.