Why Simone Inzaghi Is Destined For An Adventure In Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

As Inter Milan prepares for their Champions League final against PSG, speculation around manager Simone Inzaghi and a future in Saudi Arabia, is rife.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Al-Hilal’s pursuit of the Italian tactician has intensified. With a staggering €50 million three-year contract reportedly on the table.

Inzaghi is currently making €6.5 million net per year. If accepted, it makes him the highest-paid coach globally.

Only Pep Guardiola’s estimated €23 million annually at Manchester City come close.

Simone Inzaghi To Saudi Arabia: The Golden Handcuffs of Riyadh

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 25: Simone Inzaghi, Head Coach of FC Internazionale, stands in front of a FC Internazionale badge prior to the Coppa Italia Quarter Final match between FC Internazionale and SS Lazio at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 25, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

The Saudi proposition represents more than just financial temptation. Al-Hilal is offering Inzaghi something rarely available in European football.

Namely, complete autonomy over a €350+ million annual budget, significantly outstripping Inter’s constrained €200 million spending power under Oaktree’s strict financial parameters.

A Carte blanche over budgets, transfers, and tactical decisions would transform him from employee to football commander in chief.

In an era where even elite European clubs impose boardroom restrictions, this level of control is intoxicating.

Especially considering Al-Hilal’s infrastructure investment exceeds most Serie A clubs’ entire annual revenues.

The Cautionary Tales

Yet the Saudi Pro League’s recent history serves as a double-edged sword. Despite the league’s reported $2.3 billion investment in player acquisitions since 2023, high-profile imports have faced mixed results.

Neymar’s Al-Hilal tenure began with fanfare but quickly soured as performances failed to match expectations, leading to brutal media criticism and fan backlash.

Similarly, Jorge Jesus’s dismissal following Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League exit highlighted the unforgiving nature of Saudi football’s growing ambitions notably,

European coaches in the Saudi Pro League have a 34% success rate in completing their initial contracts, according to industry sources (confidential agent survey, 2024).

The league’s youth and rapid development create both opportunity and volatility.

While the financial backing is unprecedented, the reputational risks are equally significant in a market still finding its footballing identity.

Simone Inzaghi To Saudi Arabia – A Continuation Of Italy’s Gulf Pivot?

Inter Milan’s Italian coach Simone Inzaghi holds the trophy during the ceremony for the Italian Champions following the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Lazio in Milan, on May 19, 2024. Inter celebrates his 20th Scudetto. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

The geopolitical context cannot be ignored. Italy and Saudi Arabia have never enjoyed closer diplomatic and economic ties, with bilateral trade reaching €8.2 billion in 2024 a 23% increase from 2023.

Italian firms are playing a leading role across renewable energy, space, and tech, all linked to the 500-billion-dollar futuristic city project NEOM.

This economic partnership extends to sports diplomacy, with the Saudi Public Investment Fund reportedly earmarking €1.2 billion specifically for acquiring Italian football expertise over the next five years.

Should Inzaghi lead Inter to Champions League glory, as many anticipate, his move to Riyadh would symbolize more than personal ambition.

It would represent Italian football’s strategic pivot toward Gulf petrodollars, potentially opening lucrative pathways for Serie A’s broader expansion into the Muslim world’s most affluent markets.

Which targets the region’s 450 million football fans with significant purchasing power.

The Survivor’s Next Challenge

EMPOLI, ITALY – OCTOBER 30: Simone Inzaghi manager of FC Internazionale reacts before the Serie A match between Empoli and FC Internazionale at Stadio Carlo Castellani on October 30, 2024 in Empoli, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Inzaghi has already proven his adaptability under pressure. He navigated Inter’s tumultuous Chinese ownership debt crisis of 2023-2024 and successfully transitioned to American ownership under Oaktree Capital.

Along the way, he delivered the club’s 20th Scudetto. As well as reached two Champions League finals in spite of budget limitations and unfriendly media.

This track record suggests a manager comfortable with upheaval and change. The Saudi opportunity represents the ultimate test of his ambition.

Having conquered Italian football and established himself among Europe’s elite coaches, the Al-Hilal project offers something European football cannot.

Namely, the chance to build a footballing empire from the ground up, backed by seemingly limitless resources.

An Inevitable Move?

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 27: Lautaro Martinez and Nicolo Barella of FC Internazionale are pictured talking. Prior to the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AS Roma at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Match on April 27, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

If Inzaghi lifts the Champions League trophy, he will have achieved everything possible at Inter while facing the reality of Oaktree Capital’s 3-5 year exit strategy timeline and increasing UEFA Financial Fair Play scrutiny.

Not to mention that he would have brought in north of €133 million just from the Champions League competition.

Potentially boosting Inter’s valuation towards the $2 billion threshold that makes the club attractive for future sale.

The Saudi offer provides not just financial attractiveness, but historical significance.

The opportunity to become a pioneer in football’s inevitable eastern expansion. Especially considering Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup hosting ambitions require proven tactical expertise at the highest level.

For a manager who has already proven himself as both tactician and survivor, the allure of becoming an architect of Saudi football’s future may prove irresistible.

Particularly with Al-Hilal’s reported backup targets.

The question isn’t whether Inzaghi will make the move, but when the stars align for his inevitable Saudi Arabian adventure.

By: Andrea Zanon