Al-Hilal announced on Wednesday that Simone Inzaghi will replace Jorge Jesus as first-team coach effective immediately. The two sides signed a two-year contract until June 30, 2027.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Inzaghi's annual salary at Riyadh Crescent is 26 million euros after tax.

The 49-year-old Inzaghi has been engaged in coaching since 2010 and is regarded as an outstanding representative of the new generation of Italian coaches. He has served as the head coach of Lazio and Inter Milan, and has led his team to a record of 334 wins, 96 draws and 127 losses, winning 1 Serie A title, 2 Italian Cup titles and 3 Italian Super Cup titles.

After completing the signing, Inzaghi made a speech through a video: "I am very happy to start a new experience. Coaching overseas teams has always been my wish, and Al-Hilal provides an important opportunity for my coaching career."

"I am no stranger to Al Hilal. I have always followed Arab football. I have been here many times with Lazio and Inter Milan, so I am quite familiar with the Saudi league. I have always had a good impression of Al Hilal, partly because Sergej Milinkovic-Savic plays here. He is a player I coached when I was at Lazio, and I am very happy to meet him again at Al Hilal now."

"Saudi football is growing stronger and stronger, and the level of Saudi teams such as Al-Hilal, Al-Saif and Jeddah United is also continuously improving. The addition of foreign coaches and players has brought new ideas and quality, and the growth of local players is also remarkable."

"After coaching Lazio and Inter Milan, I was eager to go out of Italy and experience a different football culture. For me, it is a great honor to come to Saudi Arabia."

“Al-Hilal has a long history and a huge fan base. I also watched their AFC Champions League final against Jeddah National. The stadium was packed and the atmosphere was very exciting. I was very impressed.”

"My goal is clear: to win as many games and titles as possible. I also hope to improve the team's overall performance and the quality of the game by conveying my tactical ideas."

As for the upcoming Club World Cup, Inzaghi said: "The Club World Cup is a very important event and everyone is looking forward to it. I need to get familiar with the team as soon as possible. We will face world-class teams like Real Madrid - I have played against them with Inter Milan in the Champions League and against Alonso of Leverkusen. It will be a wonderful challenge and we will do our best."

Al-Hilal was drawn into Group H in the Club World Cup, with opponents including Pachuca, Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg. They will open their match against Real Madrid on June 18, followed by Red Bull Salzburg and Pachuca.