ROBERTO MANCINI has been sacked by the Saudi Arabia national team.
The 59-year-old was appointed manager in August 2023 and penned a four-year deal worth £77million.
It made him the highest-paid boss in world football.
However, Mancini’s time in the Middle East has been turbulent.
The Italian managed just seven wins in 18 games during his 14-month spell in charge.
He also suffered six defeats and five draws with the national team.
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Mancini’s dismissal stems from Saudi Arabia’s unsatisfactory results.
Reports in Italy claim his relationship with the players also deteriorated in recent months.
And fans have become increasingly frustrated, with Saudi Arabia sat third in their World Cup qualifying group.
The ex-Manchester City boss was seen arguing with a group of supporters after his team’s 0-0 draw with Bahrain earlier this month.
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He then criticised his players for the performance, insisting: “Sometimes I think the players have to take the responsibility.
“In my life, when I was a player, I took the responsibility because it’s easy to say it’s the coach’s fault. It’s too easy.
“But many times it’s not like this. Because when the coach teaches the team everything and they have improved as a team, after, some players have to put on the pitch some quality.
“If they don’t have it, it’s clear that it’s difficult.”
Mancini was appointed manager of Saudi Arabia just two weeks after leaving his job as Italy boss.
During his time with Italy, he won Euro 2020 after beating Gareth Southgate and England at Wembley.
The Italian has also managed Man City, Fiorentina, Lazio, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
