Report ex-Italy head coach Mancini has turned down Al Sadd offer

Reports on Sunday evening claim that former Italy national team head coach Roberto Mancini has turned down a contract proposal from Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd. 

Reports in Italy earlier this week claimed that Mancini was close to accepting a new job offer in the Middle East with Al Sadd following his departure from his role as head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team last year. 

However, according to updates from Fabrizio Romano, Mancini has since turned down that approach. He is reportedly holding out for a new project in Europe. 

Mancini, who left his role as head coach of the Italy national team in the summer of 2023 before taking over in Saudi Arabia two weeks later, has been out of work for over a year now after terminating his contract by mutual consent last October. 

He has been linked with various vacancies in Serie A since then, including with Juventus prior to the appointment of his Italy national team successor Luciano Spalletti. 

There have also been suggestions that he could potentially be in the running for the Atalanta job if Ivan Juric is dismissed in the near future, as he was spotted in the stands for La Dea’s recent Champions League win over Marseille.