Time for Saudi Arabian players to take spotlight under Mancini

It was just over two years ago that Roberto Mancini was ending Italy’s 52-year drought at the European Championships in London; now he is setting his sights on taking Saudi Arabia to an Asian Cup title for the first time since 1996.

Fittingly, his first two games are also in England as Costa Rica and South Korea head to Newcastle on Friday and Tuesday respectively.

The twin test against Central American and East Asian opposition should give the man who led Manchester City to the most dramatic of English Premier League titles in 2012 — and also took Inter Milan to a hat-trick of Serie A crowns in the decade before that — a good idea of where his team is at.

With the Green Falcons not in action since March and twin defeats against Venezuela and Bolivia, after which Herve Renard left to take over the France women’s national team, Mancini has a blank slate, but one that needs filling quickly.

World Cup qualifiers start in November with games against either Cambodia or Pakistan and then Jordan. More importantly in the short term is January’s Asian Cup and a group containing Thailand, Kyrgyzstan and Oman.

Renard was a respected coach who had delivered success in Africa before leading Saudi Arabia to victory against Argentina at the World Cup in November. Mancini, on the other hand, is regarded as an elite tactician and is a world famous name.

Mancini, who has signed a four-year contract, said: “I believe this is a great opportunity for me to experience football in a new country, especially with the growing popularity of football in Asia.

“The presence of top players in the Saudi Pro League indicates the potential for growth in the national football scene."

The games come at a time when there is huge interest in Saudi