Al-Sadd’s coach and Italy’s epic run… Mancini draws inspiration from history to defeat Al-Hilal

Al Sadd manager Roberto Mancini has picked a 24-man squad with 10 foreigners, featuring Brazilian left-back Paulo Otávio, right winger Giovanni Henrique, playmaker Claudinho, and Roberto Firmino up front.

The squad also includes Moroccan centre-back Romain Saïss, Uruguayan midfielder Agustín Soria, Spanish striker Rafa Mochica, French right-back Younes El Hannash, Dutch winger Javiero Delroson and Malian midfielder Mohamed Kamara.

Fourteen Qatari internationals complete the matchday squad, among them 2019 and 2023 Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif, captain Hassan Al-Haydos and right-back Pedro Miguel.

The full Al Sadd squad is as follows: Saad Al-Dosari, Meshaal Barsham, Youssef Al-Balushi, Karim Mohammed, Pedro Miguel, Roman Saiss, Ahmed Suhail, Paulo Otávio, Tariq Salman, Agustín Soria, Mohamed Camara, Rafa Mochica, Akram Afif, Hashim Ali, Giovanni Henrique, Claudinho, Roberto Firmino, Younis Al-Hannash, Ali Asad, Javiero Delroson, Khoukhi Boualem, Hassan Al-Haydos, Mohamed Al-Bakri and Abdullah Al-Yazidi.”

According to Saudi daily Al-Riyadiah, Al-Sadd have brought a private Tunisian chef with their 55-strong delegation in Jeddah to ensure the squad sticks to its prescribed diet.

The Qatari club has included a Tunisian chef in its 55-member delegation of players, coaches and administrators, to ensure strict compliance with the team’s diet plan.

Mancini is leaving nothing to chance, hoping such meticulous attention to detail will deliver peak preparation, especially with Al-Hilal missing Mohammed Kanno, Malcom de Oliveira, Kalidou Koulibaly, Nasser Al-Dossari, Sultan Mandash and Youssef Akchichik.

This incident recalls a memorable tale from football history: the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain.

Italy arrived as outsiders, having previously won the trophy only twice (in 1934 and 1938), yet they added a third star by beating West Germany 3-1 in the final at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Before a ball was kicked, however, the Azzurri faced an unexpected crisis: customs officials in Barcelona blocked the team’s attempt to import large quantities of pasta for their training camp, prompting concern among the coaching staff about the players’ dietary needs.

Manager Enzo Bearzot acted quickly, calling on Italian Football Federation officials to intervene, and team chef Lorini was dispatched to source fresh supplies from local markets. The mission succeeded, and the players soon returned to their customary carb-rich meals—a boost that may have fueled their performances on the pitch.

After a sluggish group stage—three draws against Poland, Peru and Cameroon—the Azzurri hit form when it mattered, knocking out Argentina and Brazil, then seeing off Poland in the semi-finals before downing West Germany in the final.

Between humour and seriousness, the pasta saga has become one of the famous anecdotes associated with Italy’s triumph, proving that even the smallest details can make all the difference in football.