Saudi Arabia’s national team and Italian coach Roberto Mancini have ended their collaboration after a disappointing year managing the Green Falcons.
Saudi Arabia is set to host another huge boxing bout with Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury facing off ready for the December fight.
Meanwhile, Neymar has returned to the Saudi Pro League after a long injury.
Mancini axed as Saudi Arabia national team coach after poor run of form
Roberto Mancini has left his role as coach of Saudi Arabia after his contract was ended by mutual agreement, the national team announced on Thursday.
The 59-year-old Italian took the helm of the Saudi national team in August 2023, replacing Herve Renard.
Under Mancini, the Saudis were knocked out of the Asian Cup in the last 16 earlier this year after losing in a penalty shootout to South Korea.
“The Saudi soccer federation’s Board of Directors and the national team coach, Italian Roberto Mancini reached a joint agreement on Thursday to end the contractual relationship,” the national team posted on social media platform X.
The Saudis are third in Group C of Asia’s third round of World Cup preliminaries with five points – adrift of group leaders Japan by five points after four matches.
They lost 2-0 at home to Japan on 10 October before being held to a scoreless draw by Bahrain five days later.
The top two in each group advance automatically to the World Cup while the third and fourth-placed sides go into another round of preliminaries with the bottom two finishers eliminated.
Mancini is considered to be one of the top coaches in world football, having previously won three Serie A championships with Inter Milan and the English Premier League with Manchester City, as well as leading Italy to glory by winning the 2020 European Championships.
The Italian was widely thought to be the highest-paid coach in the world, with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation reportedly paying him a staggering £21 million per year.
Usyk and Fury face off for first time ahead of historic Riyadh rematch showdownÂ
This week, heavyweight boxing titans Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury came face-to-face for the first time since their thrilling 12-round undisputed championship bout in Riyadh last May.
In that fight, Usyk made history by becoming the first-ever four-belt era champion with a split-decision victory over the Gypsy King.
The pair were in London for the first press conference in their highly anticipated rematch to be held in Riyadh again on 21 December.
Dubbed ‘Reignited’, the fight, which will formally close Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season, will not be for the undisputed championship, with Usyk forced to vacate the IBF belt.
However, the Ukrainian’s WBO, WBA, and WBC titles will be up for grabs, with Fury keen to avenge his first-ever professional loss at the hands of the Ukrainian maestro, as well as the opportunity for him to enter the history books as a three-time heavyweight world champion and two-time unified world champion.Â
Against the backdrop of London’s beautiful Guildhall, an oddly subdued Fury thanked Turki Alalshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), which runs Riyadh Season, for the rematch and “the opportunity to regain what is mine”.
“I look forward to reminding the world exactly who the Gypsy King is on December 21 and taking the belts back home to Morecambe with me. Get up there,” the Wythenshawe-born 6’9 fighter added.
Usyk turned up to the press conference dressed as a hitman, complete with a black suit and gloves, as well as a mysterious briefcase. When asked by host Dev Sahni what the briefcase contained, the undefeated Ukrainian opened it and took out a large print picture of him landing a big punch Fury that almost knocked the Englishman out.
The Simferopol-based fighter then took the photo to Fury and asked him to sign it, with the ever-game Morecambe fighter happily playing along and quipping that he “looked like Shrek” in the picture. Usyk later joked that he would now sell the signed photo on Ebay.Â
It is thought the photo will be auctioned, with proceeds going to victims of Russia’s war on Usyk’s home nation, Ukraine.
Speaking on the fight, the charismatic Ukrainian said he is approaching the fight “with love and gratitude”.
“I am thankful to the Lord for my strength and guidance I’ve received. I appreciate Tyson Fury for the challenge, and I thank Turki Alalshikh for organizing the fight,” he said.
“To my resilient people, I am grateful for the opportunity to represent Ukraine. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you on December 21.”
Neymar back after a year out, helps Al-Hilal in Asian Champions League
