Al-Deayea says Inzaghi is ‘destroying’ Al-Hilal and blames him for Benzema’s departure

Former Al-Hilal and Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Deayea has criticised head coach Simone Inzaghi, warning that the Italian’s continued presence could prevent the club from winning major trophies in the coming months.

Al-Deayea made the comments during an appearance on the television programme Dawrina Ghair, shortly after Al-Hilal suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat by Neom in the sixth round of the Roshn Saudi League.

The result was Al-Hilal’s first defeat of the season and ended the team’s unbeaten run. It also prompted renewed criticism of the club’s performances and of Inzaghi’s tactical decisions.

“As I said last season, it is difficult for me to be optimistic with Inzaghi in charge, and his continuation means that the club will not win the league or the AFC Champions League Elite,” Al-Deayea said.

The former goalkeeper then turned his criticism towards the relationship between Al-Hilal’s management and the head coach.

“The management is building, while Inzaghi is destroying. This was clear from last season,” he said. “The management gave him everything, and if any other coach had been in his place, he would have achieved incredible results.”

Al-Deayea also questioned the methods being used by Inzaghi to manage matches. A clip shared from the programme was accompanied by the assessment: “Inzaghi’s way of managing the match was wrong.”

His comments focused in particular on the difficulty some players have experienced when attempting to produce their best form under the Italian manager.

“The reason some players have failed with Inzaghi is the absence of a clear style,” Al-Deayea said. “That is the reason for Benzema’s departure and the departure of some other players.”

The remarks followed a disappointing evening for Al-Hilal against Neom, who secured a 2-0 victory in the league contest. The defeat has intensified scrutiny of Inzaghi’s approach, despite the club’s earlier unbeaten start to the campaign.

The match also came after wider discussion around Al-Hilal’s defensive display, including references to Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly and Mohammed Al-Owais. Those issues have added to the pressure surrounding the team following its loss to Neom.

Al-Deayea, who previously represented both Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabia national team, has now made clear his belief that the club’s current direction under Inzaghi could damage its prospects of competing for the Roshn Saudi League title and continental honours.

His criticism comes at a time when the club’s management is being portrayed as having supported the coach by providing the resources required to compete. Al-Deayea believes, however, that the team has not benefited sufficiently from that backing because of the manager’s lack of a consistent and clearly defined approach.

For Al-Hilal, the immediate concern is to respond after the defeat to Neom and halt the criticism that has followed the end of its unbeaten run. The result has placed particular focus on Inzaghi’s decisions and on whether he can restore the level of performance expected from the club.