Mancini Secures Double Triumph: Al Sadd Wins Qatar League and Defeats Inzaghi's Al Hilal
Roberto Mancini experienced a highly successful day, with his Al Sadd team achieving a dual celebration: winning the Qatar Stars League title and eliminating Simone Inzaghi's Al Hilal from the Asian Champions League.
The former Italian national team coach returned to club management after departing the Azzurri in August 2023 to take the helm at Al Sadd in November 2025.
Mancini's day was made even more special as he learned earlier that afternoon that Al Sadd had mathematically secured the Qatar Stars League championship, following Al Shamal's 2-0 loss to Qatar SC. This victory was confirmed before Al Sadd even took to the field.
Just hours later, his team was involved in a thrilling AFC Asian Champions League Round of 16 encounter against Inzaghi's Al Hilal in Jeddah. The match ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time, with Mancini's Al Sadd ultimately prevailing 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
Al Sadd demonstrated remarkable resilience, coming back from a goal down on three separate occasions to force the shootout and earn a spot in the quarter-finals. They are scheduled to face Japan's Vissel Kobe on Thursday.
Mancini has recently been rumored as a potential candidate for a return to the Italy national team job.
Fresh materials — Sport news
Football Italia Show: Italy's Convincing Win, Doumbia and Vergara Set to Stay
Italy secured a 3-1 victory against Turkiye in Bologna, guaranteeing a seeded position for the Euro 2028 draw. This win places them one point ahead of Belgium before upcoming matches against France and Belgium in November. Roberto Mancini made significant changes to the lineup, with only Donnarumma
De Rossi: Blaming Players Like a Clown Means I'm Done as Genoa Coach
Daniele De Rossi is confident Genoa will improve despite a rough start, securing just one point in five matches. The coach emphasized to La Gazzetta dello Sport that theatrics won't solve their issues. “We’ll climb out of this, just like last year. The key is everyone’s commitment. I want t
Gila’s Honest Milan Assessment: ‘We’re a Europa League Team with Scudetto Ambitions’
Defender Mario Gila supports Ruben Amorim’s coaching approach, recognizing that the team is still building momentum. Speaking at the Festival dello Sport in Trento, Gila described Amorim as a coach who instills grit and adopts an aggressive pressing style, fitting for modern European footb
Donnarumma: Italy Showed Great Team Spirit in 1-1 Draw with France
Gianluigi Donnarumma believes Italy demonstrated the characteristics of a strong team during their 1-1 draw in France. "Not everyone can come here and perform like that," he stated. Following mixed results in their initial Nations League matches, Italy's display against France offered a cle
Rabiot Praises Italy's Spirit and Donnarumma's Brilliance in Draw
Adrien Rabiot acknowledged Gianluigi Donnarumma's "extraordinary" performance after France's 1-1 draw with Italy. He was also impressed by Roberto Mancini's squad. Italy created the clearer chances in the first half at the Stade de France. Michael Olise opened the scoring when his free ki
Giacomo Raspadori Out for Italy's Remaining Nations League Matches Due to Injury
Giacomo Raspadori will not participate in Italy's final two Nations League matches. The FIGC announced Tuesday evening that the forward underwent tests confirming his unavailability for upcoming games, leading to his return to Atalanta. This sidelines him for the match against France on Friday and