Inzaghi changes stance as Al Hilal’s Austria friendly against MC Alger cleared for live TV coverage

Simone Inzaghi has stunned Al Hilal supporters by overturning his original decision to play the club’s next pre-season friendly behind closed doors, with the meeting against MC Alger in Austria now set to be broadcast live.

The Saudi Pro League champions face the Algerian side on Wednesday in their third warm‐up fixture of a training camp in Austria, part of preparations for the 2026-27 season.

Saudi journalist Hamad Al-Swailhi reported that Inzaghi has reversed an earlier call to keep the game off television and has now agreed that the friendly can be shown to fans.

According to Al-Swailhi, Al Hilal are currently coordinating with broadcaster STC TV to finalise arrangements so the match can be transmitted live rather than played away from public view.

Third test for Inzaghi’s Hilal

The clash with MC Alger continues a busy pre-season schedule for Al Hilal under their new Italian head coach, who is overseeing his first external training camp with the Riyadh club.

Hilal have already played twice in Austria, opening their programme with a 2-1 victory over Austrian side Sturm Graz before recording a 2-0 win against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns.

Those two results mean the meeting with MC Alger will be the third outing of the camp, offering Inzaghi another opportunity to assess his squad ahead of the new campaign.

Camp to conclude with Al Ahli SC (Qatar) match

Al Hilal’s Austrian stay is scheduled to finish on 3 August, when they take on Al Ahli SC (Qatar) in their final friendly of the tour.

The team are then due to return to the Saudi capital Riyadh to complete preparations for the start of the 2026-27 season.

The decision to allow live coverage of the MC Alger match gives supporters an additional chance to watch Inzaghi’s early work with the squad before competitive action begins.