Mancini Formally Relieved of His Duties by Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Roberto Mancini is no longer the Saudi Arabia coach after just 13 months at the helm. The FA announced to have reached an agreement to terminate his contract early on Thursday.

The coach left the Azzurri to take over the Middle Eastern national team in August 2023. He collected 9 wins, 7 draws, and 5 losses in 21 games. His former squad will need to make up some ground in their 2026 World Cup qualifying group after the early results. The boss was contested by the crowd after the most recent draw versus Bahrain and responded accordingly.

Mancini made the headlines following his appointment by Saudi Arabia primarily because of his large salary. He would have made €25M per season until 2026, Corriere della Sera reports. He was an integral part of the lavish campaign to raise the notoriety of the emerging league.

According to Sportitalia, the Football Association is considering three options to replace him: Sale Al Mohammadi, who’s helming the U-23 squad, Hervè Renard, who already managed the national team in the past, and former Brazil gaffer Tite.

Before being hired by Saudi Arabia, Mancini guided Italy for five years. He rebuilt the side and won the 2020 European championship but failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. At the club level, he spent time at Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter twice, Manchester City, and Inter. On the bench, he won Serie A three times, the Coppa Italia on four occasions, and the Premier League, among other domestic trophies.