DOHA, Qatar — Al-Sadd’s head coach, Roberto Mancini, is unable to return to Qatar and will miss the upcoming match due to the ongoing conflict in the region, the club announced on Thursday.
The Italian manager, who had been away on a personal matter, will not be present for Friday’s game against Umm Salal in the Qatar Stars League.
In Mancini’s absence, an assistant coach will oversee the first-team responsibilities for the match, with efforts ongoing to facilitate his return as soon as possible, as stated by Al-Sadd on social media.
Mancini, who led Italy to victory in the European Championship in 2021, joined Al-Sadd in November of last year.
The club explained that Mancini made plans to depart after the first leg of the AFC Champions League Elite match due to a family medical issue. That game, which was scheduled for early last week, was subsequently postponed.
“Following the recent developments in the region, Mancini left as planned. However, due to the current flight restrictions, he has not yet been able to return,” the statement from the club indicated.
Commercial flight operations have been severely limited since U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, leading to retaliatory strikes on Israel and neighboring Gulf states.
This situation has left tourists, business travelers, migrant workers, and religious pilgrims stranded in hotels, airports, and on cruise ships.