Announced for several days, it’s now official. The former head coach of the Italian national team, Roberto Mancini, is the new coach of Saudi Arabia. The news was confirmed this Sunday evening by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation itself.
The 58-year-old coach, who led Italy to victory in the last European Championship, has officially signed a four-year contract, binding him to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation until 2027. The Italian professional will make his debut as the team’s coach in the match against Costa Rica, scheduled for September 8th in Newcastle, followed by a game against South Korea four days later.
Saudi Arabia surprised many during the recent World Cup in Qatar by winning a memorable match against Lionel Messi’s Argentina, who would go on to become world champions, with a score of 2-1 in the group stage. After the tournament, the team was without a coach following the departure of Hervé Renard, who took charge of the French national women’s team. Taking over from Renard, Mancini won’t have an easy time, but he will have goals to achieve.
As a reminder, in an effort to transform its image and restructure its economy, Saudi Arabia has acquired world football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar for its league. The country’s football prominence is expected to shine through the performances of its national team on the continental and international stages as well.
