Roberto Mancini experienced a double reason for celebration as his team, Al Sadd, not only secured the Qatar Stars League title but also eliminated Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal from the Asian Champions League.
The former Italian national team coach has returned to club management, having left his role with Italy in August 2023 to manage in Saudi Arabia before being appointed as the Al Sadd boss in November 2025.
It proved to be an exceptionally significant day for Mancini. Earlier in the afternoon, he learned that Al Shamal’s 2-0 loss to Qatar SC mathematically confirmed the Qatar Stars League title for Al Sadd, regardless of their own performance on the pitch.
Just a few hours later, his squad was in action for the AFC Asian Champions League Round of 16, facing Inzaghi’s Al Hilal in Jeddah. The match was a dramatic 3-3 draw that ultimately went to a penalty shootout after extra time. Mancini’s Al Sadd emerged victorious with a 4-2 win from the spot.
Al Sadd demonstrated remarkable resilience, coming back from a goal down on three separate occasions to force the shootout. This victory sets them up for a quarter-final encounter with Japan’s Vissel Kobe on Thursday.
Mancini has previously been linked with a potential return to manage the Italian national team.