Former Saudi Arabia national team coach Roberto Mancini has addressed recent rumours and speculation about his departure from the role and his future in football. In an interview with Valerio Staffelli, Mancini expressed his disappointment at leaving the Saudi team while firmly denying reports of a substantial payoff.
“I’m disappointed. We did good work in these months. Sometimes, however, results don’t come, and there was discontent on both sides,” Mancini explained. He then emphatically dismissed rumors of a large severance package, stating, “Payoff? Those are all lies.”
The Italian coach, who previously led his home country to European Championship glory in 2021, also touched on the possibility of returning to the Italy national team in the future. While not committing to anything specific, Mancini left the door open for a potential return:
“A return to the Italian bench? In life, you never know. It’s still the most important team in Italy. We did beautiful things, including the record of 37 matches without defeat.”
