Riyadh Derby Sparks Technical Chaos: Al-Jaber Takes Aim at Inzaghi After the 1-0 Win

Context of the Derby

Sami Al-Jaber, the Saudi football icon of Al Hilal, publicly challenged Italian coach Simone Inzaghi after the derby against Al Shabab. Al Hilal secured a 1-0 victory at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the seventh round of the Saudi Pro League, a result that did little to quiet the larger questions surrounding the team’s style and trajectory.

On television, Al-Jaber emphasized that while the three points were crucial, there is a red flag hanging over the club. He described a team that lacks clear identity and a champion’s character, winning games through a method that often invites time-wasting rather than inspiring confidence.

He added that with such a win, the club’s cultural narrative becomes a talking point: a tendency to celebrate the result rather than the performance, a trait that sows doubt among supporters who crave a more expansive style of play.

The veteran also pointed to the coach’s emotional and tactical state as reflective of a broader Italian football mentality—focusing on securing three points at the expense of showing a bold, holistic approach to the game.

According to Al-Jaber, when Al Hilal prevails 1-0 or 2-1, fans often fail to celebrate the victory because the culture around the club seeks a higher standard alongside the final score. After seven league games and three in Asia’s elite competition, he argues, the team has not added a meaningful tactical dimension.

As a fan, he confessed that watching matches played with this approach makes him nervous, living with every moment as if on the edge of his seat, waiting for something to change rather than feeling assured by the display itself.

Al-Jaber highlighted that the opponents often play with a defensive emphasis, five at the back, which he felt underscored a lack of attacking threat and a plan beyond individual efforts. He cited the lineup as evidence of limited solutions, relying on isolated breakthroughs rather than coherent team moves.

He described how, during the match, ball progression flowed frugally from right to left and back, with no clear avenues of penetration. He singled out rare moments of inspiration, such as a solitary movement technically credited to Malcolm, who dropped deeper and released a pass that found its way to a welcoming finish, but noted that such moments were exceptions rather than the rule.

More pointedly, Al-Jaber argued that the overall style is not aligned with the club’s identity. He suggested that the coach could be excused for difficult preparation due to recent club commitments, but insisted that the players and system remain lacking in ambition and coherence, especially in high-stakes matches.

Even in previous comfortable league wins, such as a 5-0 victory over Al Ettifaq, he contended that the performance level did not convince and did not reflect genuine superiority. In his view, the team’s execution rarely matched its potential, a sentiment he extended to other competitions and opponents in the season so far.

He reiterated that the club’s attacking options do not appear sufficient to define a robust offensive identity, and that the defensive structure has absorbed too much responsibility for wins. The result, he argued, should not mask a deeper need for strategic reinforcement across the squad.

Al-Jaber also revisited comments from a previous clash with Al Ahli, noting that despite praising Inzaghi’s reputation, he believes the coach must adapt his approach to fit Al Hilal’s ambitions. He criticized limited depth on the bench, with many defenders involved during matches and several players not able to complete 90 minutes, underscoring a gap in squad quality and endurance for longer campaigns.

In his assessment, Al Hilal’s longer-term needs include a proven striker and a strong central midfielder, along with a more versatile midfield and forward options. He argued for a structural improvement beyond just accumulating defenders, emphasizing the need for a more complete and dynamic tactical plan to meet the club’s aspirational goals.

Conclusion and calls for change: Al-Jaber acknowledged Inzaghi’s status as a renowned coach but warned that the alignment between the coach’s methods and Al Hilal’s identity is not currently working. He urged the club to address the gaps in attack, midfield depth, and tactical flexibility to avoid relying solely on moments of individual brilliance.

Punchline: If strategy were a perfume, Al Hilal would be wearing Eau de International Ambition—nice in theory, but the crowd still wants the full, headlining fragrance on the pitch. Punchline 2: Inzaghi’s playbook is so Italian that even the corner kicks greet you with a polite “ciao” before they sprint to lunch.