Inzaghi: I preferred Al-Hilal over the pressures I experienced in the Italian league
Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi ruled out being a candidate to succeed Gennaro Gattuso as manager of the Italian national team (the Azzurri) after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row, following a shocking loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in the European play-off for the 2026 World Cup. He affirmed his confidence in the ability of Italian football to rise again and be present at the World Cup, describing the atmosphere in Saudi Arabia as wonderful in all aspects, whether in terms of lifestyle, sports infrastructure, or the tranquility surrounding technical work. Al-Hilal currently occupies second place in the league, 5 points behind Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, with 7 rounds remaining. This came during his statement to the newspaper “Libertà”, stressing his happiness at coaching Al-Hilal and his intention to complete his contract, defending his decision to move to coaching in the Saudi Roshan League, explaining that the motives were not only financial, but also a desire to experience a completely new environment, and to get away from the enormous pressures he had experienced for years in the Italian League.
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The most important points in his statements:
His current position: Inzaghi, who is currently coaching Al-Hilal Saudi Club and is celebrating his fiftieth birthday today, stated: “I am flattered to have my name mentioned, but I am happy where I am now, and I still have another year left on my contract with Al-Hilal.”.
On Italy's failure: Inzaghi expressed his deep sadness at Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup after losing on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and said: "I am 100% Italian, and my brother (Pippo) has already won the World Cup. I am confident that Italian football will recover.".
The reason for his departure from Italy: Inzaghi explained that his move to the Saudi League was not only financial, but also due to his desire to have a completely new experience away from the great pressures he experienced at Inter Milan, describing his years with Inter as “professionally satisfying but very tiring,” and that he needed to break away from those high pressures.
