"Al Hilal builds, Inzaghi destroys": the coach is ridiculed by the media after spending 200 million euros

On Monday, Al Hilal lost sensationally at home to Neom, with a score of 2-0, ending the unbeaten streak in the Saudi championship of the team managed by Simone Inzaghi, a series of 47 positive results (35 wins and 12 draws), which, however, was not enough to win the last national title, which went to Al Nassr where Cristiano Ronaldo plays. Since then, critics and fans have demanded the departure of the 50-year-old Italian coach, who has already entered the second season of his very rich contract of 25 million euros net per season. And despite it being only September, the Italian is being hit by the team's fans with the unquestionable cry: "Inzaghi out".

Martinelli, Summerville and Watkins, 200 million in total in the transfer market

It was enough that, after the first five victories in the newly launched championship, Al Hilal lost at home (however, they remain first with 15 points, while Al Nassr could catch up tomorrow), for Inzaghi to face again really harsh criticism, which also includes the extremely expensive transfer market carried out in the last summer session. The club from Riyadh spent around 200 million euros on purchases and it was the young stars who were activated together for the first time from the first minute against Neom: we are talking about Gabriel Martinelli, Crysencio Summerville and Ollie Watkins, for whom Al Hilal paid 70, 64.5 and 58.4 million euros to Arsenal, West Ham and Aston Villa respectively.

Home defeat to Neom, Inzaghi faces numerous criticisms

But money doesn't automatically mean victory and so, despite a spectacular attack on paper and the presence in the starting lineup of players such as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves and Kalidou Koulibaly, Al Hilal were defeated 2-0, with the former Napoli defender being the negative protagonist with an own goal that opened the scoring in the 15th minute of the first half. The second goal came before the break and from that moment on the home team had no chance to turn the game around.

After the match, Inzaghi was targeted by Mohamed Al-Deayea – former Al-Hilal and national team goalkeeper, a Saudi football legend – who stated that his stay on the bench could prevent the team from winning trophies, rather than being the added value for which he is paid so much: “As I said last season, I find it difficult to be optimistic about Inzaghi’s presence and his stay means that the club will not win either the championship or the Asian Champions League. Managers build and Inzaghi destroys, and that was evident last season. The managers have given everything and, if it had been another coach, they would have achieved fantastic results.”

Inzaghi after the match: "The responsibility is mine, I won't sleep tonight"

For his part, speaking at the press conference after the defeat, Inzaghi did not shy away from his responsibilities: "We created five chances in the first half and we failed to convert them, moreover the Neom goalkeeper was exceptional in the case of Kanno in the second half and I repeat that I take full responsibility for the defeat. These types of defeats bring players back to their feet."

"It's true that the management have done a great job, but we are still at the top of the table and I don't blame the players," Inzaghi added. "The responsibility for this painful defeat, which will keep me awake at night, is mine. We are at the top of the table and we didn't want to lose, we have played 4 games in 10 days, this is my first defeat in Saudi Arabia since my arrival, but now we just have to learn from this result."