In the European qualifiers of the World Cup, Italy lost to Norway 0-3 in the first match, and coach Spalletti was unstable. Just before this game, former coach Mancini publicly expressed his regret of leaving the Italian national team.

Mancini said: "If I could do it again, I would not choose to resign. This decision made me regret. There was a poor communication at that time. If I could communicate with the chairman of the Football Association, everything would be different. This is my fault. In short, if I could go back to the past, I would choose to stay. Coaching the national team is the supreme honor, and leading the team to win the championship is an unparalleled achievement."

In August 2023, Mancini suddenly announced his resignation due to conflicts with the Italian Football Association. He then accepted the invitation from the Saudi national team and signed the contract until 2027, with an annual salary of 25 million euros.

In the first four rounds of the Asian qualifiers, Saudi Arabia won 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss and 5 points, ranking third in the group. In addition, the Asian Cup ended in the quarterfinals, Mancini was terminated by the Saudi Football Association in October last year. It is reported that the termination fee is as high as 30 million euros.