Saudi Arabia boss Roberto Mancini has explained the reasons behind his squad decisions for the 2023 Asian Cup.
The Green Falcons got off to an exceptional start in the Asian Cup despite being drawn in a tough group with Kyrgyzstan, Oman, and Thailand.
A late 2-1 comeback victory over Oman followed by a convincing 2-0 win against Kyrgyzstan marked a perfect start for Roberto Mancini’s men.
However, the Italian manager was questioned by reporters over his decision to leave out a number of key players led by Al-Nassr duo Nawaf Al-Aqidi and Sultan Al-Ghannam.
In a recent press conference, Roberto Mancini hit back at the media and claimed that some players were not committed enough to their country.
“Nawaf Al-Aqidi and Sultan Al-Ghannam personally said to me that they don’t want to be here unless they get to play regularly,” Mancini said.
“They’re the ones who decided to leave, not me. In fact, this was the third time that Al-Aqidi asked me to leave the camp.
“It doesn’t matter to me at this point if he’s here or not. Again, I asked them at least twice if they wanted to remain with the team and they simply refused.
“Players need to be proud to represent their country whether they play or not. I can understand some experienced players showing this kind of behaviour.
“But when a young player turns down the opportunity to play international football, it’s the first time I encounter this situation in my career,” he added.