Simone Inzaghi (49) has made his decision: the successful coach of Inter Milan is leaving the Nerazzurri. He is set to coach Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup.
The lost Champions League final against Paris St. Germain was his last game for Inter Milan: Simone Inzaghi is leaving the top Italian club and will likely become coach of Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. What Italian media had initially reported was made official by the club in a statement early Tuesday evening. From now on, they will go their separate ways, it said. The decision was made at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
“After four years of giving my all, the time has come for me to say goodbye to this club,” Inzaghi is quoted as saying. “Every day, my first and last thoughts were always about Inter.” It is not yet official that he will become coach at Al-Hilal, but it is considered an open secret.
Inzaghi set to earn €26 million annual salary
Inzaghi had already confirmed ahead of the Champions League final that he had several offers on the table – “from Italy, abroad and from Saudi Arabia.” Al-Hilal had openly courted the 49-year-old coach. However, Inzaghi had announced that he would not make his decision until after the Champions League final. According to reports, Inter bosses would have liked to extend Inzaghi’s contract, which was due to run until 2026.
In Saudi Arabia, Inzaghi is now being offered a princely annual salary of 26 million euros, according to reports – significantly more than Inter could have offered him.
According to media reports, Inzaghi is set to travel to Miami this weekend to sign his contract – and then get straight to work: He is expected to take charge of the team, which includes former Bayern star Joao Cancelo and goalkeeper Bono, at the Club World Cup, in which Al-Hilal is participating. Neymar’s former club will kick off the tournament against Real Madrid on June 18 – presumably with Inzaghi at the helm.
As the reason for his departure – apart from the obvious financial opportunities at Al-Hilal – the Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport cites Inzaghi’s great disappointment after the final defeat against PSG. In addition, he is said to have felt a certain fatigue after four years at Inter.
According to the newspaper, the top favorite to succeed Inzaghi is Cesc Fabregas of Serie A rival Como 1907, who was also considered a candidate for German runners-up Bayer 04 Leverkusen but turned down the club. Roberto De Zerbi, currently under contract with Olympique Marseille, would be the backup option if Fabregas does not work out. The succession is to be settled soon, as Inter are due to leave for the Club World Cup in the middle of next week.
