Saudi Arabia’s decision to consider replacing Georgios Donis only a month after he guided the national team to its first trophy in 23 years has raised fresh concerns about a lack of stability before the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
For more than two decades, the Saudi national team had failed to win a major title. Their record also included early World Cup exits and defeats in finals involving Asian and Gulf competitions.
That run ended when Donis led the Green Falcons to victory in the Arabian Gulf Cup “Gulf 27”, their first trophy since winning the same competition in 2003.
Despite that achievement, Donis’s position is now being widely discussed, with reports questioning whether he could be dismissed as head coach just weeks after delivering the long-awaited success.
The uncertainty is not limited to the possibility of Donis leaving. Roberto Martinez, the former Portugal manager, has been mentioned as a possible replacement.
Martinez previously managed Belgium and Portugal during periods when both nations possessed so-called golden generations. However, he failed to win a trophy with either side, despite having a number of high-profile players available to him.
That has prompted questions over why Saudi Arabia would consider removing a coach who has demonstrated an understanding of the national team, and how Martinez would be judged as the choice to lead the side into the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The wider concern is the timing of any change. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has twice denied that Donis is facing dismissal and has said he will remain in charge in the coming period.
However, Saudi journalist Abdulrahman Al-Humaidi, presenter of the “Nadina” programme on MBC 1, said a decision would be made after the next international break in March.
If that information proves accurate, Donis’s successor would have only three international breaks before the 2027 AFC Asian Cup begins in December. Only one of those windows would be relatively long.
That would leave the new manager with limited time to assess the squad, build relationships with the players and prepare the team for the tournament. The players, in turn, would have little opportunity to become familiar with his methods.
Saudi Arabia has already experienced the consequences of a late coaching change. In October last year, French manager Herve Renard guided the team to qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Some voices then called for Renard to be dismissed and replaced before the tournament, but the Saudi Arabian Football Federation rejected those demands. As calls for his removal continued after each match, the federation repeatedly stated that Renard would lead the team at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Yet in April last year, only two months before the World Cup, the federation dismissed Renard and appointed Donis.
Donis was unable to repair the situation in time. Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points and were eliminated in the group stage.
Supporters fear the same pattern could now be repeated: official denials, several more months for Donis in charge, and then a late dismissal before the Asian Cup.
The tournament features 48 teams. The top two from each group qualify, along with the eight best third-placed teams from the 12 groups, meaning failure to progress would be difficult to justify.
That judgment might have seemed reasonable before Gulf 27. Saudi Arabia won all five of their matches, scored eight goals without conceding, and collected the awards for the best player, goalkeeper and top scorer.
The performances revealed a different side to the team and underlined the work Donis had done. They also suggested he may simply have needed more time before the 2026 World Cup.
If the Saudi Arabian Football Federation repeats the same decision, despite changes among its officials, the outcome may show that the problem was not Renard or Donis, but the system itself.
