Simone Inzaghi agreed Inter exit before Champions League final disaster, Al-Hilal CEO reveals

In an interview with BBC Sport, the Al-Hilal chief executive stated that the club were in contact with Inzaghi before the Champions League final, and the manager had verbally agreed to join them. However, he wanted to focus on the final and requested the Saudi Pro League side to wait until that game was over, and signed only after the conclusion of the mega-fixture where Inter lost 5-0 to Paris Saint-Germain.

Al-Hilal, who finished eight points behind the current champions of Saudi Pro League Al-Ittihad, roped in Inzaghi as their new manager after Inter’s 5-0 humbling in the final. Calzada has brought it to daylight that contact was established way before. On 27 April, Al-Hilal lost against compatriots Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals, losing out on potential trophy in the first edition of the newly structured competition by the Asian Football Confederation. Soon after, the most successful side in AFC Champions League sacked Jorge Jesus and finally in June announced Inzaghi as their new boss.

Calzada said: “It might look like it's something that came quickly, but it's the result of hard work. 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.”

Al-Hilal will face Real Madrid in their first Club World Cup game on 18 June at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.