Inzaghi Faces Criticism Over Al-Bulaihi's Treatment at Al-Hilal

Simone Inzaghi has walked into his first real storm at Al-Hilal before a ball is even kicked in the Roshn League.

On the eve of Friday night’s opener against Al-Faisaly, the Italian coach explained in his press conference that he had kept Ali Al-Bulaihi out of group training because he wanted to “watch the young players.” That single line lit the fuse.

“Inzaghi’s words are strange and surprising to me,” Abdulghani said. “He says that Ali Al-Bulaihi has grown older and that he wants to give the youngsters a chance, and that is illogical given the squad he has.”

Then he twisted the knife.

“Is Benzema 20 years old, or Koulibaly 21?” he added sarcastically, pointing to the age profile of other big-name stars in the Saudi game. “The coach says anything to justify excluding Al-Bulaihi, but I see that the handling of the player is not professional.”

For Abdulghani, this is about more than one selection call. It is about respect for a player who has been at the heart of Al-Hilal’s success and the way Saudi clubs choose to move on from their stalwarts.

“Al-Bulaihi gave a lot to Al-Hilal,” he concluded. “The management should have satisfied him and sold him in a normal way, instead of dealing with him in this strange manner. Saudi clubs deal with the players they do not want in such an unprofessional way.”

As Al-Hilal launch their league campaign, Inzaghi now has more than tactics to manage: he has a dressing-room symbol on the outside looking in, and a public debate raging over what that says about the club’s new era.