Roberto Mancini Takes the Reins at Al-Sadd: A Bold New Era in Doha
13 November 2025
Mancini Takes Charge at Al-Sadd
Al-Sadd, the reigning Qatar Stars League champions, announced on Thursday the appointment of Italian Roberto Mancini as head coach for two and a half years, replacing the dismissed Víctor Sánchez.
The club published an official statement saying Mancini is officially the team’s coach.
The move is framed as part of the club’s plan to strengthen the technical staff with distinguished coaching experience capable of delivering the club’s ambitions and continuing its trophy run.
Mancini’s Doha visit and attendance at the team’s 5-1 win over Al-Rayyan in the ninth round are noted, but the deal only concluded after he accepted a fresh offer.
Reports claimed the Italian coach rejected the first financial offer during his earlier Qatar visit, prompting the club to present a fresh bid that he accepted and the formal contract was signed.
With this appointment, Sadd aims to correct its domestic and continental path after a disappointing start that left eight points from seven matches and three defeats, followed by a draw and a loss in the first three rounds of the AFC Champions League.
That shift prompted the club to replace Sánchez with Mancini’s compatriot Sergio Allegri on an interim basis, with no major continental changes, despite a second defeat to Al Ahli Saudi 2-1, even as local momentum grew with big home wins over Al-Rayyan 5-1 and Umm Salal 8-3.
Mancini was born on November 27, 1964, in Jesolo, Italy.
As a player he rose from Bologna to become a symbol at Sampdoria, winning the 1991 Serie A and the 1990 UEFA Cup; he later closed his playing days with Lazio, winning the 2000 Serie A and the 1999 UEFA Cup.
He built a storied coaching career with Fiorentina (2001) where he lifted the domestic cup, then Lazio (2002-2004) and Inter Milan (2004-2008, 2014-2016) with multiple league titles and cups; Manchester City (2009-2013) delivered their first league title in 44 years in 2012, and Galatasaray (2014) captured the domestic cup.
He also steered the Italy national team from May 2018 to August 2023, winning Euro 2021 and compiling a record 37-match unbeaten run from 2018 to 2021.
Yet the national team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and began the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with some rocky results, leading to his departure in 2023 to coach Saudi Arabia for a three-year deal, though he stayed less than a year.
During his Saudi tenure, he oversaw 18 matches with seven wins, five draws and six losses; his final tournament was the 2023 Asian Cup in Doha, where a round-of-16 exit to Korea Republic via penalties ended that chapter.
Later, Mancini revealed he agreed to a substantial concession on the termination clause of his Saudi contract, and media reports suggested a 50 million euro payoff, which was later denied by Saudi federation president Yasser Al-Mishal.
Broadly, the Italian coach’s next chapter with Al-Sadd will begin with an Asian clash against Al-Wahda (UAE) on November 24 in the AFC Champions League, a stern early test of the project’s ambitions.
Al-Sadd is banking on Mancini’s experience and international pedigree to regain league tempo, boost continental presence, and build a squad capable of lasting through 2028.
Punchline 1: If Mancini can turn Doha into a trophy factory, Qatar might finally need a bigger shelf—and maybe a few more dust jackets for the awards. Punchline 2: He’s come to bring order to the chaos—like a grandmaster in a chess match, except the board is a desert and the pieces are players who sprint after a ball with more attitude than a camel at a fashion show.
