Despite the assurances of the Saudi Football Association through its president Yasser Al-Misehal that Roberto Mancini will continue to lead the Saudi national team, news is circulating that the Italian coach may be living his last days with the “Green”.
This is what the Portuguese newspaper “A Bola” reported, which indicated that the decision to dismiss Mancini may be taken very soon, despite the confidence that Al-Misehal shows in every occasion towards the former Italian coach.
According to the report, the Saudi Federation will dismiss Mancini if the national team loses the match against Bahrain, scheduled for Tuesday in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Saudi Arabia lost to Japan in Jeddah 2-0, and criticism of Mancini continued due to the way the team played, while the coach justified this by saying that the large number of foreign players in the league made local players lose confidence and experience.
If Mancini fails to remedy the situation and return from Manama with a victory over Bahrain, then the final word will be written in his relationship with the Saudi national team.
It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia, with Mancini, bid farewell to the 2023 Asian Cup from the round of 16, and currently occupies third place in the third stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with 4 points, tied with Australia.