Milinkovic-Savic Responds to Criticism After Al Hilal’s Historic Victory

Milinkovic-Savic Responds to Criticism After Al Hilal Victory

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, midfielder for Al Hilal, has responded to the criticism directed at Saudi football following his team’s surprising victory against Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Let’s see if they criticize us now.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Al Hilal from Lazio in 2023, is one of the many players who have opted for the Saudi Professional League following the growing investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Many footballers have been accused of prioritizing the economic aspect over sporting ambition. However, after Al Hilal’s 4-3 victory over Manchester City in Orlando, Milinkovic-Savic responded to the criticism.

The Serbian midfielder stated: “We show that it’s not how they talk about the league. We showed it against Real Madrid, Salzburg, Pachuca and tonight. I hope we keep showing it.” Al Hilal’s coach, Simone Inzaghi, also joined the team from European football, after leaving Inter Milan after the defeat in the Champions League final. Inzaghi, who has only had a few weeks with his new players before the Club World Cup, achieved a historic victory.

The key to this result is the players, the heart they put on the field.

Simone Inzaghi

“Tonight we had to do something extraordinary because we knew how good Manchester City is, we knew we had to climb Everest without oxygen and we were great. Guardiola is the best coach in the world, but tonight we gave our best and deserved the result.”