Few would have imagined Theo Hernandez and Simone Inzaghi sharing the same dressing room. Yet this summer, both found themselves in Al Hilal blue, united in pursuit of Saudi Pro League glory.
Inzaghi’s arrival was confirmed in early June, just days after guiding Inter to the 2025 Champions League final, where his side suffered a bruising 5–0 defeat to PSG at the Allianz Arena. By the end of the month, Hernandez had followed.
The French full-back, still only 27, had little desire to leave Europe. Atletico Madrid showed interest, but their bid was swiftly rejected by Milan. Then came Al Hilal’s offer — and Inzaghi’s persuasive words.
“He said to me, ‘Shall we go and win together?’” Hernandez recalled to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “At Inter they called him ‘the demon’. On the pitch he’s one person, off it another — a gentleman.”
The pair know each other well from the Derby della Madonnina, where Hernandez’s Milan often fell short against Inzaghi’s Inter. The coach, never shy of reminding his new signing, still teases him about those battles.
“Every now and then he jokes about the Super Cup I cost him here in Riyadh last year,” Hernandez admitted. “He and the staff often remind me of the six straight wins with Inter, or the duels with Dumfries.”
Now, both are focused on Al Hilal’s title chase. The club sits second in the table, four points behind Al Nassr, who boast a perfect record of nine wins from nine.
This weekend offers another chance to close the gap: Al Hilal host Al Khaleej on Friday, while Al Nassr face Al Okhdood the following day. Both matches will be broadcast live on SPOTV NOW.
Asked whether he dreams of returning to Milan, Hernandez was blunt. “Right now I want to win here. But as long as certain people are there, I won’t return.”
