President of Saudi Arabian Football Federation Deems Coach Mancini’s Premature Departure ‘Completely Unacceptable’.
The president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has deemed the departure of coach Roberto Mancini “completely unacceptable” before the end of the penalty shootout session during his team’s elimination on Tuesday in the Asian Cup round of 16.
“The coach’s departure is completely unacceptable, and we will discuss with him to understand why he did this,” said Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Federation, in an interview with SSC, the competition broadcaster in Saudi Arabia.
“I thought it was over,” justified the 59-year-old coach after the match, as his team lost to South Korea (1-1 a.e.t, 4-2 on penalties).
Mancini, the European champion with Italy in 2021, took over in August last year and is under contract until 2027.
According to the press, he accepted an annual salary offer of $25 million (23 million euros) to lead the Saudi national team, which finished last in its group during the 2022 World Cup after defeating Argentina, the world champion.
“He has the right to explain his point of view, and we will decide on the course of action,” explains Yasser Al-Misehal, adding, “technically, we are satisfied with the performance in the Asian Cup.”
With AFP
