Accused by the Italian press of having initiated negotiations with Saudi Arabia, where he recently became the national team coach, while still in his position in Italy, Roberto Mancini responded to his critics on Instagram on Tuesday.
Roberto Mancini officially resigned from his role as head coach of the Italian national football team, to immediately accept a lucrative offer with the Saudi national team. This surprising decision has not been well received in Italy. In fact, the country’s media accused the coach of negotiating with Saudi Arabia before leaving Italy.
In a message posted on his Instagram account, Mancini assures that he had already resigned from his position leading the Italian national team before beginning discussions with the Saudi selection.
“False information and manipulation have always existed, ancient poems were already filled with false news, spread by the gods only to confuse mortals. The timing is exactly what I reiterated during the press conference, meaning the real and concrete contact with the representatives of the Saudi Federation dates back to August 18 (which is 5 days after my resignation, editor’s note), nothing more,” declared the former Manchester City coach.
He adds: “And then, for those who truly know football, know that the deadlines to reach agreements are always extremely fast, even in a matter of a few days. In my life, football has always been everything for me, since I was barely more than a child, on dirt fields, at the age of thirteen, always and only challenging a ball.
And to this life, the only one for me, I have always associated foundational words such as sacrifice, work, merit, and trust. Yes, trust. Because receiving complete trust, with the autonomy that comes with it, has always been my first-choice criterion in both human and professional relationships.”
