Mancini's Qatar Era Begins: Al-Sadd Face a Manageable Test

Match Preview

Al-Sadd, the defending Qatar Stars League champions, begins the Mancini era with a fairly approachable test against Al-Sailiya on Saturday in round 10.

The club announced Mancini, 60, on a two-and-a-half-year contract, replacing the Spaniard Felix Sanchez, with the aim of correcting the team’s domestic and continental trajectory.

Al-Sadd had bounced back from two difficult rounds at home by recording emphatic wins over Al-Rayyan 5-1 and Umm Salal 8-3, under interim coach Sergio Allegri, moving to 14 points in sixth.

A victory for Mancini would be crucial to allow focus on refining the team’s continental form, ahead of Tuesday’s AFC Champions League clash against UAE’s Al-Wahda, after a modest start, with four winless games and two points in the West.

Meanwhile, Al-Sailiya head into the match buoyed by a 2-2 draw with Al-Duhail before the break, reaching seven points in tenth place.

Mancini spoke to the club's official site: “The current situation does not suit a club of Sadd’s size... I hope we achieve many wins to fix the course.”

He added: “We want to deliver better performances because our current situation is not good. Winning the domestic league is possible, but given the current state, it seems very difficult.”

The European champion with the Italian national team in 2021 said: “It’s best to focus on short-term goals, winning game after game, and when we move up the league table we can discuss bigger things. The same applies continentally—we must win many group-stage games to try to reach the next round.”

League Standings and Stakes

Al-Gharafa to stay on top

Meanwhile, Al-Gharafa aim to stay ahead by continuing their winning run as they host Al-Wakrah.

The Falcons had overcome heavyweight teams such as Al-Rayyan, Al-Ahli and Al-Duhail before beating former leaders Qatar 2-1, reaching 22 points to lead the standings. By contrast, Al-Sailiya drew 2-2 with Al-Wakrah, moving to 15 points in fifth.

The Portuguese Pedro Martins, Al-Gharafa’s coach, said: “We will return after the break with the same high motivations to continue what we started at the start of the season.”

“We also have another important fixture against a strong opponent like the four games prior, and we hope to continue in the same vein to pursue the title.”

Al-Duhail to stem the slide and Al-Rayyan to strengthen

Al-Duhail, runners-up last season, seek to halt the slide when they face Al-Ahli, who are looking to get back on track.

Al-Duhail’s form has dipped locally after a heavy continental win over Shabab Al-Ahli, leaving them on 12 points in eighth place, following a draw with Al-Sailiya.

In contrast, Al-Ahli were beaten by Al-Arabi, a setback that leaves them with nine points in ninth place.

Al-Duhail coach Gamal Belmadi said: “The break was a chance to look at ourselves, after the draw in the last game when we were near killing the match by going three ahead, only for the game to flip.”

He added: “We must stay focused and not drop a point in the remaining matches, starting with the clash against Al-Ahli if we want to revive our title hopes.”

Meanwhile, Al-Rayyan are chasing a resurgence as they face Umm Salal, who are struggling. Al-Rayyan beat Al-Shahania 5-1 to reach 16 points in fourth, while Umm Salal slipped further with a 3-8 loss to Al-Sadd, leaving them near the bottom on six points.

Al-Arabi, seventh with 13 points, hope for a fourth straight win but face a stern test against Qatar (third with 17 points) who are looking to atone for a 1-3 defeat to Al-Gharafa.

In the round’s finale, Al-Shamal, second with 18 points, look to return to winning ways when they meet the last-placed Al-Shahania, who have four points.

Want more detail? Mancini’s first objective will be to stabilize the squad, while the rest of the league continues to buzz around a potential title reshuffle that could redefine the season.

Punchline 1: If Mancini’s playbook is a sniper, expect a few hits—just don’t blink, or you’ll miss the goal celebrations.

Punchline 2: In football, if you keep changing coaches, at some point the only thing that’s consistent is the press conference cadence. Don’t worry, English subtitles are on standby.