Finally, after a series of complicated negotiations, the Saudi Football Association announced that it had reached an agreement with Roberto Mancini to relieve him of his managerial duties. The FA made it clear in its statement that the decision was the result of mutual agreement between the two sides and not a unilateral coercive act. The move reflects the fact that the two sides were able to end their partnership in a peaceful manner, despite the fact that the results of Mancini's coaching failed to meet expectations. Mancini's termination fee is said to be as high as €30 million, a figure that has attracted widespread attention in the media.
Recall that in July 2023, Roberto Mancini was appointed as the head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team and signed a four-year contract for the job. Since taking over, Mancini's team has not achieved significant results. In the Asian Cup at the beginning of the year, the Saudi team stopped at the round of 16, a result far from the expectations of the Football Association. According to statistics, under the leadership of Mancini, the Saudi team participated in a total of 18 games, only 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses.
Following the departure of Roberto Mancini, the Saudi Football Association (SFA) plans to announce a new head coach in the near future. Sources say that Real Madrid star Zinedine Zidane is expected to replace Mancini. This coming November 14, Saudi Arabia will face Australia in the Group C Round of 18 match. With the match looming large, the Saudi Football Association is in dire need of finalizing a new coach.
It is worth mentioning that since the start of the 18-team tournament, the two national teams in Group C have completed coaching changes. Australia's original coach Arnold resigned and Popovic took over to lead the team to a draw with Japan. Now, Saudi Arabia has also completed a coaching change, with Roberto Mancini stepping down and a new coach about to take over.
Meanwhile, after Indonesia's match against the national soccer team, Indonesian Football Federation (FIBA) President Tohir took to social media to say, "After the national team returns to the country, I will conduct a full evaluation." Tohir's words seemed to be a reminder to Indonesian head coach Shin Tae-Yong. With the introduction of a number of naturalized players, Shin Tairon led his team to an away defeat against the national soccer team, a result that sparked widespread questions in Indonesia and put Shin's position in jeopardy.
