Simone Inzaghi says Al Hilal's impressive Club World Cup campaign means his side start the new Saudi Pro League season fully confident of reclaiming the title.
Inzaghi will get his first taste of SPL action on Friday night when Hilal play host to Al Riyadh in their opening game of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Italian was appointed to replace Jorge Jesus in June and has already had a taste of competitive action having steered Hilal to the last eight of the Club World Cup in the US.
That run included a draw with Real Madrid and a rousing victory over Premier League giants Manchester City with Hilal looking a far more formidable outfit than the one that surrendered the SPL crown to Al Ittihad down the stretch of last season's domestic competition.
Inzaghi amassed an excellent body of work at previous club Inter Milan – which included the 2023/24 Serie A title, two Coppa Italias, and reaching two Uefa Champions League finals – making him one of the most significant SPL managerial appointments of recent times.
“I was convinced by Al Hilal because it is a huge club, and the management made me feel very appreciated here, and I really wanted to be part of it,” said Inzaghi on the eve of the new campaign.
“They strongly convinced me, and I came here with a great desire to do this. We had a fantastic Club World Cup, and now we are preparing to start the league in the best possible way.
“The Club World Cup was a very positive experience, and it definitely has to serve as motivation. We know that last year Al Hilal’s season didn’t go as expected because no titles were won. The hope is to do good teamwork, to entertain our fans, and to try to bring trophies to this club.”
Blanc challenges Ittihad to step up
Meanwhile, reigning champions Al Ittihad begin their title defence on Saturday against Al Okhdood, aiming to build on last season’s success.
After claiming the league title – they finished eight points clear of Hilal – the Jeddah giants completed the domestic double by lifting the King’s Cup in May.
Ittihad's summer business has been modest when compared to the lavish outlay of some of their rivals, and manager Laurent Blanc admits they face a huge challenge to defend their titles.
“We feel very good about starting a new season, especially after the success of the previous one,” said Blanc.
“From the first day of pre-season, I told my players that the 2025/26 season would be much more difficult than 2024/25. Why? Because all our opponents will want to beat us. And that’s normal. Just as last year we wanted to beat everyone, this year we are the team to beat.
“That’s something we have to accept. We must prepare well, individually and collectively, and the preparation has gone very well. It’s up to us to measure the challenge in order to have a strong season. If we are not ready mentally to face these opponents, the season will be complicated. So we have to prepare properly and be ready.”
Jaissle and Al Ahli eye more success
Al Ittihad are not the only club in Jeddah entering the new season with major silverware to defend.
Local rivals Al Ahli made history in May by winning the AFC Champions League Elite and have ambitions of replicating their continental success on the domestic scene.
Matthias Jaissle’s side have already made a statement by winning the Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong, and the German manager is confident his team will carry that momentum into the new campaign.
“It was a historical moment to win the AFC trophy,” said Jaissle. “It creates confidence but also raises expectations. We want to take that momentum in a positive way by carrying these good memories and this confidence into the new season. There will be new challenges waiting this whole season, but we are confident.”
Entering his third year at Al Ahli, Jaissle is the SPL's longest-serving manager, and he is hoping to use his experience to his team’s advantage as they aim to end a 10-year wait for the league title.
“You get used to the different opponents, the teams with their players,” he said. “That's a learning curve you can definitely use for your advantage. You also learn with different circumstances how to handle, for example, the heat with different conditions, and the tight schedule; playing every three days, that was a big lesson for us and showing that consistency will be important for the new season. That's a challenge, but after these two years, there are many aspects which you can learn from and take that into the new season.”
Al Ahli finished fifth last season but there are many reasons to believe they will be genuine title contenders. As well as securing two trophies in the last three months, their impressive squad has been further strengthened by the arrival of talented French midfielder Enzo Millot, a player Jaissle describes as “high quality” and a “really important signing”.
