As Inter Milan prepares for the Champions League final with PSG, there is speculation surrounding manager Simonein Zaghi and Saudi Arabia’s future.
According to Gazzetta delo Sport, Al Giral’s pursuit of Italian tacticians is intensifying. It reportedly has an astounding 50 million euros three-year contract.
Inzaghi is currently making nets of 6.5 million euros a year. If he accepts it makes him the highest paying coach worldwide.
Only PEP Guardiola, which is 23 million euros per year in Manchester City, is approaching.
Simone Inzagi to Saudi Arabia: Golden Handcuffs of Riyadh
The Saudi Arabian proposal represents more than just financial temptation. Al Hilal offers Inzagi something rarely available in European football.
In other words, full autonomy, exceeding the budget of over 350 million euros per year, is significantly more than Inter’s constrained 200 million euros under Oaktree’s strict financial parameters.
Carte Blanche, over budget, transfers and tactical decisions, turns him from employee to football commander.
This level of control is intoxicating in an age where even elite European clubs impose boardroom restrictions.
Especially considering Al-Hilal’s infrastructure investment, it exceeds the overall annual revenue of most Serie A clubs.
Warning Stories
However, the recent history of the Saudi Arabian professional leagues has served as a double-edged sword. Despite the league’s reporting $2.3 billion investment in player acquisitions since 2023, well-known imports have faced mixed results.
Neymar’s Al-Hilal’s tenure began with fanfare, but the performance didn’t meet expectations and quickly deteriorated, leading to brutal media criticism and fan backlash.
Similarly, the firing of Jorheis following the exit of Alhiral’s Asian Champions League highlighted the unforgiving nature of Saudi football’s growing ambitions.
Industry sources say Saudi Arabia’s European coaches have a 34% success rate on completing their initial contracts (Confidential Agent Survey, 2024).
The league’s youth and rapid development creates both opportunities and volatility.
Financial support is unprecedented, but reputational risk is equally important in markets where football identity is still being found.
From Simone Inzagi to Saudi Arabia – Continuation of Italy’s Gulf Pivot?
Geopolitical context cannot be ignored. Italy and Saudi Arabia never enjoyed close diplomacy and economic ties, increasing 23% in 2023, reaching bilateral trade of 8.2 billion euros.
Italian companies play a leading role in renewable energy, space and technology, all linked to the $50 billion future urban project Neom.
The economic partnership extends to sports diplomacy, with Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund reportedly winning 1.2 billion euros specifically to acquire Italian football expertise over the next five years.
If Inzaghi led to the glory of the Champions League, as many expect his move to Riyadh would represent more than personal ambitions.
This represents a strategic pivot against Italian football’s Gulf Petrodler, potentially opening up a lucrative pathway for Serie A’s broader expansion into the wealthiest market in the Islamic world.
It targets 450 million soccer fans in the region.
Survivor’s next challenge
Inzagi has already proven his adaptability under pressure. He navigated Intel’s turbulent Chinese ownership debt crisis from 2023-2024, successfully taking American ownership under the Oaktree capital.
Along the way, he delivered the club’s 20th Scudetto. Despite budget constraints and friendly media, they reached two Champions League finals.
This track record suggests managers who are happy with the upheaval and change. The Saudi Arabian opportunity represents the ultimate test of his ambitions.
The Alhiral Project, which conquered Italian football and established himself among European elite coaches, offers what European football cannot do.
In other words, the opportunity to build a soccer empire from scratch, supported by seemingly infinite resources.
An inevitable movement?
If Inzagi lifts the Champions League trophy, he will face the reality of Oak Tree Capital’s 3-5 year exit strategy timeline and achieve everything possible in the inters, increasing scrutiny of UEFA Financial Fair Play.
Needless to say, he would have brought 133 million euros north from the Champions League competition.
It could facilitate the club’s evaluation of Inter to a $2 billion threshold that will make it attractive for future sales.
Saudi Arabia’s offer offers not only economic appeal but historical importance.
An opportunity to be a pioneer in soccer’s inevitable Eastern expansion. Especially considering Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup hosting ambitions, it requires the highest level of proven tactical expertise.
For managers who have already proven themselves as both a tactician and a survivor, the appeal of becoming a future architect of Saudi football may prove attractive.
In particular, it uses the backup target reported by Al-Hilal.
The question is not whether Inzagi moves, but when the stars match up for his inevitable Saudi adventures.
By: Andrea Zanon
Andrea Zanon is the co-founder of Comfidede. He is an international advisor who has worked for financial institutions and entrepreneurs in sustainability, international affairs and development.
