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Between denial and confirmation: what is the truth about Inzaghi's departure from Al-Hilal?

The Italian coach may leave!

Simone Inzaghi's future at Al-Hilal has become the talk of Saudi football over the past few hours. Reports have clashed over whether the club's hierarchy still back their Italian coach. Some claim his exit is imminent and that a replacement is already being sought, while others insist Inzaghi remains central to Al-Hilal's plans for the years ahead.

All this unfolds as Al-Hilal gear up for the new season. Fans are desperate to see what the team will look like under Inzaghi, particularly after the upheaval the club has been through in recent months.

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Inzaghi will leave: Al-Hilal search for a replacement
Media figureMohammed Al-Bukairy has confirmed that Inzaghi's days with Al-Hilal are numbered. The club, he says, have already started hunting for his successor.
According to Al-Bukairy, Al-Hilal are studying three coaching profiles: one Portuguese, one Swiss and one Spanish. They want a replacement lined up before the season kicks off.
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Inzaghi, he explained, has lost the room. The administration, the fans and the media have all turned against the Italian, and that could push Al-Hilal to end the relationship sooner rather than later.

Another account
Media figure Abdulaziz Al-Muraisel, by contrast, flatly rejected these reports. Al-Hilal are not weighing up terminating Inzaghi's contract, he confirmed.
Quoting a source at the club, Al-Muraisel dismissed talk of a desire to part ways with the Italian as "untrue". The matter, the source stressed, had never been raised for discussion in the first place, neither directly nor indirectly.
That source went further still. Inzaghi is a cornerstone of Al-Hilal's upcoming project, and the management have great confidence in his ability to lead the team towards its objectives.
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A major surprise
The biggest surprise came in the Al-Hilal source's remarks about a possible longer stay for Inzaghi. The club, he indicated, are considering extending the Italian coach's contract so that he remains at the helm of the technical staff during the 2029 Club World Cup, according to various reports.
Al-Hilal do not want to make decisions on emotion, the same source added, but according to technical and scientific criteria. That reinforces the idea of Inzaghi staying on and being given enough time to implement his project.
One account confirms the coach's departure. Another speaks of a contract extension. Inzaghi's future at Al-Hilal remains open to every possibility, but the coming days will reveal which version is closer to the truth.