Mancini, a dream ended in the desert. A bitter and golden farewell to Arabia

Even Eldorado can be bitter, dazzling with its sparkle and then resembling the Italy we left behind, where dismissal is a national specialty.

Roberto Mancini is no longer the coach of Saudi Arabia. The decision had been in the air for days, beyond the dunes there had long been no horizon of footballing trust for Mancio. Yesterday the long-awaited official announcement, with the agreement - obviously golden - for the termination of the contract that would have expired in 2027, signed on the basis of 25 million net per season.

But this does not make the news less noisy, because it was generated by the certified email with which, last year on August 2021th, our Euro hero stopped being the Italian selector, no longer feeling the right climate of esteem to carry on the project with the FIGC. After the triumph of miracles at the XNUMX European Championship, the failure to qualify for the Qatar World Cup had shocked so much as to insinuate doubts about the possibility that the magic could be repeated in any way.

In the oil peninsula, the coach from the Marche had arrived with all the hallmarks of an enlightened and winning leader. What they were looking for in Riyadh, aiming to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and above all seeking an increasingly sunny spot for a selection that in 2034, barring sensational twists, will be the home team in the world championship.

But the relationship with the federation and especially with the fans - demanding beyond expectations - soon deteriorated. And even Mancini's aplomb was gone, as evidenced by the spat with a spectator a few days ago, which bounced around on social media: the sign of the imminent end, of plans gone up in smoke. The recent, mediocre loot in the World Cup qualifiers - the draw with Bahrain was not digested by the Saudis, who now dream of Zidane - had moreover accelerated the conclusion of the brief idyll, to which the elimination from the Asian Cup in the round of 2024 against South Korea at the beginning of XNUMX had certainly not contributed.

Seven wins, five draws and six defeats in official matches at the helm of the 'Green Hawks' for Mancio. It was not considered enough. Honors and burdens, it's the same all over the world. Even in Arabia, the coach from Jesi had complained about how little the home athletes play in the championship invaded by foreign stars, from Ronaldo on down. Like in Italy.

Rumors are already swirling about the next destination bench. Maybe that of United in perennial crisis. The sackings, like the exams, never end.