Saudi Arabian coach Roberto Mancini is facing sharp criticism and is threatened with being fired due to a series of poor performances that do not match the hopes and ambitions of supporters.
The Green Falcons’ achievements, which were previously able to qualify for the World Cup six times since the 1994 edition, are now under threat.
Mancini, who started coaching Saudi Arabia in August 2023, has not been able to provide the expected results. Saudi Arabia was eliminated early from the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar after losing on penalties to South Korea in the round of 16.
The situation is getting more difficult for the Italian coach because Saudi Arabia is now threatened with failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Saudi Arabia was only able to collect five points from four matches in the third qualifying round.
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, under Mancini’s guidance, Saudi Arabia was only able to achieve eight wins, seven draws, and five defeats. The data shows a series of mistakes made by Mancini while handling Saudi Arabia.
Despite trying 15 different attacking combinations, the “Green Team” failed to score in two consecutive matches. This shows the weak effectiveness of the attack even though Mancini has fielded his mainstay players.
Mancini himself blamed the players for the national team’s poor performance. He emphasized the need to provide more opportunities for young players in the Saudi Arabian League which allows the participation of eight foreign players and two players under the age of 21.
The 59-year-old coach is the highest-paid national team coach in the world, at 24 million US dollars per year. This figure is far above other national team coaches such as Thomas Tuchel (England) and Mauricio Pochettino (USA).
Mancini has a successful track record as a coach, including winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan and the Premier League with Manchester City. He even led the Italian national team to win Euro 2020.
However, these brilliant achievements in the past have not been translated into success with the Saudi Arabian national team.
Image source: suara.com
