Lead:
The international football calendar shifted decisively this week as the French Football Federation confirmed Zinedine Zidane as successor to Didier Deschamps through the 2030 World Cup, while Italy reinstated Roberto Mancini following Gennaro Gattuso's departure. Across the Saudi domestic sphere, transfer activity intensified with multiple clubs strengthening squads for the 2026-27 season, and Saudi youth teams secured continental medals in handball competition.
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Zinedine Zidane appointed France coach — The French Football Federation formally named Zinedine Zidane as head coach of the national team, replacing Didier Deschamps on a four-year contract through the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The appointment came via an official press conference led by FFF president Philippe Diallo.Roberto Mancini returns to Italy — The Italian Football Federation announced the reappointment of Roberto Mancini as head coach of the senior national team, succeeding Gennaro Gattuso, who departed in April following a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in qualifying competition.Saudi handball youth claim bronze at Asian Championship — The Saudi Arabia men's handball team under 20 secured the bronze medal at the 19th AFC Asian Youth Championship by defeating Bahrain, marking a return to the continental podium for the programme.Saudi women's football opens West Asian campaign — The Al-Nassr women's football team opened its account in the third AFC West Asia Club Championship with a fixture against Syria's Al-Hilal, launching the club's regional tournament challenge on Tuesday evening.Multiple Saudi clubs advance transfer negotiations — Al-Hilal progressed talks to sign Brazilian midfielder Luis Diaz from Bayern Munich, while Al-Ittihad pursued Portuguese midfielder Andre Horta. Al-Shabaab secured defender Mamadou Barry from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, and Al-Adel appointed Portuguese coach Correia.Saudi Sports Authority establishes specialised arbitration chamber — The Saudi Centre for Sports Arbitration approved creation of a dedicated tribunal to hear appeals on decisions from the Saudi Football Federation elections committee, strengthening governance structures for forthcoming elections.What to Watch:
Al-Hilal faces Moldova's FC Milsami in a friendly fixture on Wednesday as part of preparations during its Austrian training camp. The Roshen League 2026-27 season approaches with heightened competitive intensity as clubs complete recruitment and international coaches assume positions across the division.