Simone Inzaghi believes that while Pep Guardiola is the best coach, his team played the best football in this match.
What no one might have imagined before the match began, became a reality after the final whistle. Al Hilal created one of the biggest upsets in FIFA Club World Cup history by defeating Manchester City. The coach of the Saudi Arabian club, Simone Inzaghi, was left in awe, his face showing a mix of surprise and excitement at the team’s unprecedented achievement.
In the early hours of Tuesday (Bangladesh time), Al Hilal made history at the Camping World Stadium in Florida. In a thrilling extra-time battle, they triumphed 4-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.
Facing one of Europe’s most successful clubs and the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League winners, Manchester City, such a performance seemed almost unbelievable to Inzaghi. He even compared the achievement to “climbing Mount Everest without oxygen.”
“The real credit for this result goes to the players. Tonight, they fought with their hearts on the field. We had to do something extraordinary to win because we all know about Manchester City,” he said.
“We had to climb Mount Everest without oxygen, and we did it. Every player was outstanding today, both with and without the ball.”
Although Inzaghi had led Inter Milan to two Champions League finals in the last three seasons, the final moments had not been kind to him. After being thrashed 5-0 in last month’s Champions League final, he left the Italian club and took charge of Al Hilal.
Inzaghi feels proud of bringing such a massive success to his new team in such a short period.
“We were very organized in possession. Against a strong and very attacking team, we played technically well in keeping the ball,” he said.
“In my eyes, Pep Guardiola is the best coach in the world, but tonight we gave our best, and I believe this victory was well-deserved.”
On the same day, Inzaghi’s former team, Inter Milan, suffered an upset, losing 2-0 to Fluminense.
Al Hilal will now face Fluminense in the semi-final on Saturday, aiming to advance further in the tournament.
