With Italy, after the beautiful period of the European Championship won by the Azzurri in 2021, it had ended badly: with a farewell too traumatic not to leave an ugly patina of rust. All to go to Saudi Arabia to be the coach of a national team capable of showering him with petrodollars, but not with glory. And in fact yesterday the adventure of Sheikh Roberto Mancini collapsed, before its time, amidst dunes of disappointment. News that had been in the air for several days. The statement announcing the separation from the 59-year-old coach born in Jesi is so laconic that it does not even include a shred of thanks: “The Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation and the coach of the national team Roberto Mancini today reached a joint agreement which provides for the end of the contractual relationship”.
Not an exemption therefore, but rather a consensual resolution between the parties, which followed the negative results of the last matches. Mancini thus leaves office after 18 matches, in which there were 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 defeats. In short, a loot well below expectations.
The final blow for Mancio came this month with the home defeat against Japan and the draw with Bahrain: two flops that have put the Saudi national team’s participation in the next 2026 World Cup in serious doubt. For Mancini, the adventure in the desert it ends here. Now, for him, it’s already past dust… From today in Italy the hunt for his very high salary begins.
