Giorgos Donis expected to lead Saudi Arabia at rearranged Asian Cup

Giorgos Donis is not facing dismissal as Saudi Arabia manager following the postponement of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, according to Saudi journalist Badr Al-Saqri.

The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday morning that the tournament would no longer begin in January 2027. Instead, it will be staged from December of the same year.

Reports had suggested that the Saudi Football Federation was considering replacing Donis and appointing a new head coach to take charge of the national team during the competition at the end of next year.

However, Al-Saqri rejected those claims while speaking on the programme Nadina, broadcast by MBC 1.

“I contacted officials at the Saudi Football Federation to ask about Donis’ future, and the response was that they are not considering dismissing him from his position at all,” Al-Saqri said.

He added: “There is no consideration within the Saudi Football Federation of appointing a new coaching staff. According to the same responsible source, it would be madness if that happened.”

Al-Saqri said the officials had also confirmed that Donis would remain in charge of Saudi Arabia for the Asian Cup.

“The officials confirmed that Donis will continue with the Saudi national team at the Asian tournament, so there will be no problem extending his contract, which expires before the competition, for an additional year,” he said.

The Greek manager’s current deal runs until the end of July, a situation which had prompted questions over whether he would remain in the role. Earlier reports had also raised the possibility of his dismissal.

Donis took over as Saudi Arabia manager before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Saudi Arabia were eliminated in the group stage, but Donis subsequently guided the team to victory in the Arabian Gulf Cup, known as Gulf 27.

The decision to move the Asian Cup from January to December 2027 has therefore not altered the federation’s reported plans for the manager. Saudi Arabia are due to face South Korea in a friendly on 13 November 2026.