Mancini, Saudi Arabia: 5-month disqualification for the goalkeeper

The 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar will not be remembered with particular pleasure in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia was eliminated in the round of 16 after penalties by South Korea amid controversy over the premature exit of coach Roberto Mancini from the field. Who has now taken a small revenge against the “rebels” who had refused the call for the continental demonstration. The “Professionalism and Player Conditions Committee”, a Saudi disciplinary body, has in fact disqualified and fined six players of the Saudi national team, on the recommendation of the former Italian coach and the technical director of the Falcons.

the six guilty ones

—

Nawaf Al-Aqidi, goalkeeper of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, has been suspended for 5 months and fined 75,000 euros. Sultan Al-Ghannam got away with a fine of 50,000 euros, without suspension. A month’s ban for Al Faraj (fined 25,000 euros) and Al Ghanam (50,000 euros). Mohamed Maran, Khaled Al-Ghannam and Ali Hazazi were disciplined for a month and fined 50,000 euros.

rejection

—

In the press conference that preceded his debut with Oman in Doha, Mancini had attacked three players Al-Faraj, Al-Ghanam and Al-Aqidi, who had not responded to the call: “They didn’t want to come to the national team, they decided, not me. Al-Faraj didn’t want to play the friendlies. I spoke to Al-Ghanam and Al-Aqidi before making the lists, asking them if they were ready. The first told me: ‘Either I play, or I don’t come’. second he was convinced he would be there, but three days ago he told our goalkeeping coach that he didn’t want to be in the national team if he didn’t play either.” Today Mancini, according to what the local press reported, returned to the topic: ” I hope that now no one will come to ask me for explanations as to why these six were excluded from the squad. The team is more important than any player and those who don’t want to be part of it are right to stay at home.”