Simone Inzaghi, former coach of Inter Milan, expressed confidence in the recovery of Italian football despite its recent failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. However, Inzaghi, who is currently under contract with Al-Hilal for another year, has definitively ruled himself out as a potential successor to Gennaro Gattuso for the Italy national team coaching role.
Inzaghi, who previously managed Lazio and Inter, celebrated his 50th birthday while leading Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. He is nearing the conclusion of his inaugural season with the club, which currently holds second place, five points behind Al-Nassr (featuring Cristiano Ronaldo) with seven matches remaining.
Speaking to a newspaper on his birthday, Inzaghi praised his experience in Saudi Arabia, stating, “It’s a fantastic situation from all points of view: the lifestyle, the sporting and non-sporting infrastructure, and the sense of calm that accompanies you even in a demanding profession like mine.”
Inzaghi Discusses Italy’s National Team and His Future: “Fortunately, I Didn’t Need Money”
The conversation shifted to Italy’s recent World Cup qualifying disappointment, which occurred after their penalty shoot-out loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I am deeply saddened that Italy will miss the World Cup for the third consecutive time,” Inzaghi remarked. “As a proud Italian, whose brother even won a World Cup, I am confident that Italian football will eventually rebound. Nevertheless, my decision to leave Italian football was driven by several factors.”
While a substantial increase in salary was widely perceived as the primary reason for his move to the Saudi Pro League, Inzaghi maintained that financial gain was not his sole motivation for departing Italy.
“That’s incorrect,” he asserted. “While high earnings are certainly pleasant, other considerations guided my decision. Fortunately, I was not in need of money.”
He elaborated, “My desire was to embrace a completely new experience in an entirely different setting. My time at Inter, though professionally rewarding, was incredibly stressful. I sought to continue working in high-level football but also to disconnect from the immense and burdensome pressure I had been under.”
Despite some Italian media outlets speculating about Inzaghi as a potential successor to Gennaro Gattuso for the national team coaching position, he has effectively removed himself from consideration.
“I appreciate the flattery,” he concluded, “but as I’ve stated, I am content here, and my contract with Al-Hilal extends for another year.”
