'If This Was The Price I Had To Pay...': Simone Inzaghi Grateful To Inter Ahead Of Al Hilal Bow

Last Updated:June 18, 2025, 15:50 IST

Inzaghi will make his Al Hilal debut in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 against Real Madrid following his departure from Serie A giants Inter at the conclusion of the bygone season.

Simone Inzaghi. (X)

Italian head coach Simone Inzaghi will make his Al Hilal bow in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 against Real Madrid on Thursday following his departure from Serie A giants Inter at the conclusion of the bygone season.

Inzaghi stepped down from the Inter mantle on the back of a 5-0 hammering at the hands of PSG in the final of the UEFA Champions League before inking an agreement with the Saudi Pro League side. However, chatter around Italian media is that Inzaghi’s decision to leave the Milan-based club at the end of the campaign had a bearing on the side’s hefty defeat in the UCL summit clash.

Inzaghi, however, brushed aside any such suggestions and opted to focus on the happy times he experienced at the Italian club.

“Today, as has often been the case during my four years at Inter, I heard and listened to everything," said the coach.

“If this criticism was the price I had to pay for my four years at Inter, I am happy to pay it, but it is nothing compared to the good I have received from everyone. I am talking about Inter, the fans, the management, the players and Inter," he added.

“I know I will miss it, I will miss everything, even this. Even the most unfair accusations that have been made over the past four years.

“But I have been really happy, I have given my all and worked closely with the club and the management. In short, I think they too, for the good of Inter, were convinced that the right thing to do was for our paths to separate, with a lot of pain on everyone’s part," he said.

Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada backed Inzaghi’s claims and revealed that the Italian’s move to Saudi was decided well ahead of the UCL final and the club kept it under wraps on the suggestion of the tactician as a matter of respect for his then team.

“It might look like it’s something that came quickly, but it’s the result of hard work particularly from our chairman, who was always very clear he would be our number one option," Calzada explained.

“He was playing a massive match and asked us to keep things aside until after the final… it was decided but not signed before the final, just because out of respect he asked us to wait, which is certainly fair enough," he added.

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