August 27, (THEWILL) – Italian manager, Roberto Mancini, is set to be named the new head coach of the Saudi Arabian national football team, according to reports monitored by THEWILL.
Mancini resigned from coaching the Italian national team earlier this month, opening the door for him to take charge of Saudi Arabia. The 58-year-old Mancini will reportedly sign a lucrative 4-year deal worth €25 million per year. His appointment is expected to be officially announced by the Saudi Federation on Monday.
Saudi Arabia have been without a coach since Herve Renard left to take over the French women’s team. Mancini’s resignation from the Italy job came as a surprise, having only recently been given additional responsibility for the country’s Under-21 and Under-20 squads. He led Italy to Euro 2020 glory but failed to qualify them for the 2022 World Cup.
During his playing days, Mancini was part of the successful Sampdoria side. As a coach, he won Serie A and English Premier League titles with Inter Milan and Manchester City. Guiding Italy to Euro glory was a highpoint of his time managing his country’s squad and their World Cup qualification failure marked the lowest point.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in football lately, bringing in players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to their domestic league. If confirmed, Mancini’s appointment would continue their drive to become a top football nation after impressing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
