Inter’s new President Erick Thohir in interviewed in today’s newspaper edition of Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport where he amongst other things spoke about his vision for Inter. We at SempreInter.com publish his interview in its entirety in English here below.
President what kind of Inter do you want and would you want to see?
“I’m come from the world of media, so naturally I want a team that pleases people. I love spectacular football: it brings new fans as well as making the current ones very happy. I spoke to Mazzarri, he has to be extra patient to be able mix this need with a tactical balance in order not to risk conceding goals. A good example is the LA Laker of ‘Magic’ Johnsson who were able to balance entertainment with victories. This a difficult challenge for a coach but one that should be accepted if you want to be amongst the best in the world. Many people would like to coach Inter, so it’s very important that the coach is able to handle the pressure as it’s fundamentally important for the coach as well as the players and everyone here at the club to understand the philosophy of the new ownership. Then, obviously it’s clear that the preparation of the matches is exlcusively up to the technical staff. I know that a more defensive football is played here in Italy as compared to other countries where there is more space in a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3. It depends also on the coach but I believe that you cannot win by using only one strategy.”
Who do you think is the best coach around?
“I think that Mourinho is one of the best, but in the end you only work once together. In 2010 Mourinho brought 3, maybe even 4 or 5 titles at once and I see similar traits in Mazzarri: I hope that he can begin to lay the foundations now so that in 2 or 3 years we can build a very strong team. But I’m also a perfectionist and in the next 2-3 years he will be one of the best coaches in the world.”
What do you ask of your players?
“If you come to Inter you have to be a 100% professional. Look at Zaneti: he doesn’t drink alcohol, he came back from a very difficult injury thre months sooner than expected, for 10 minutes against Livorno he sent a clear signal to everyone, he was involved in the play leading up to the second goal. The older players have to convey the right mentality to the younger players who think they’re superstars given the amount of money they earn but do not understand that having that attitude renders your career to end in 2-3 years. It’s enough to look at NBA’s Steve Francis, a great talent but whose carrer ended fast. But I’m aware that one thing is to say it in words, another to transform it into action.”
Which team do you like the most in Europe?
“I really enjoy how they play in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern München sent a strong signal in the final of last years Champions League. In England there is too much of a competitive spirit, it’s a different mindset, whilst in Spain there are only a few competitive clubs. Ajax was the first team to demonstrate total football but the lesson that everyone can defend and attack at the same time always apply. And, to keep talking about Inter, I have to say that Mazzarri has made the team very aggressive.”
How difficult will it be to be Inter’s President whilst being in Jakarta?
“I’ve talked with Angelmario and I think that a partnerhsip is fundamental, I won’t be able to be in Milan every day but now my life is tied to Inter. Therefore, with regards to actions and thoughts there a thousand ways to communicate these, I can even talk to thew players via email or by phone and when I’m in Milan I can meet with them face to face. Maybe we’ll go on a group outing to Bali, it’s a beautiful island.”
In the other team in Milan, they say that the President, Berlusconi, is the one who sets up the tactical formations…
“I think it’s fundamentally important how the owners work with the directors who are the key to having success. I’m definately not the boss who will impose a certain formation, what’s required is working as a collective and to have faith in the squad. Then if the results don’t arrive, you deal with the problem. Last year DC United were in the top whereas this year they are last, yet the investments in the squad have been exactly the same. For this reason I’ve spoken with the coach to see what hasn’t been working properly as it’s important to discuss the difficulties you face, and afterwards I put my faith in him for another year. But if things were to go wrong again… Among other differences in the USA there is no such as thing as relegation, here if things go bad you play in the Serie B. I protect the team but if they don’t give their all you have to make changes.”
How long time will it take to change Inter’s structure? And how many of your men and which ones will be involved?
“From our first meeting I told Moratti that I think he’s done a fantastic job, that I haven’t arrived to replace it but rather to work together, to help him. It’s correct to look at reality as it is, football is a huge business and it’s difficult to compete with clubs which have yearly revenues of 500-600 million Euro’s whilst you bring in 140 million Euros. It could happen once that the richest club doesn’t win and this is what’s beautiful about the sport but in the long run the richest club will prevail. I want a healthy club, even before the club being a winning club, that’s why we’ve been working relentlessly from Friday, with meetings from early morning to late evening. I don’t have a lot of time, I leave on Thursday morning but first I have to understand what’s happening. It would be wrong of me to go to this director or that director and say that they’re doing things wrong. First I want to put a focus on everything, to listen where the problems are. We have a plan for the next 100 days, 3 months to understand how we should act, but that’s why it’s important that I understand during these days what’s not been working and what has been working well. I’ll come back on the 28th of November and stay until the 2nd of December, after all these meetings I have to make sure that all the directors have received the message and have begun to work.”
Will that also be the time for a meeting with the Board of Directors in order to delegate the powers that they will have?
“More than anything else I will have to make sure that things are running soothly between those who were here before and those who are new in the organization, because in January we have to be serious. I’ve invited my American partner Jason Levien to come on the 29th. Someone mistakenly wrote that he will be my partner at Inter, but I want to get to know the Moratti’s more in order to become better acquainted with their experiences.”
PSG re-established themselves by entrusting the management of the club to a strong name like Leonardo. Disregarding the name, is that the kind of solution you have in mind for Inter?
“No, I don’t believe in a ‘one-man-show’, I believe in a system which is based on team work. This is why I’ve met with Angelmario, Branca, Ausilio and other members of the board in order to talk about the transfermarket in January. We have defined a few names, and we’ll start working on them starting tomorrow [today ed.]. Mazzarri was at the training ground but was present through telephone. This is my way of working, it’s easy to blame someone for a mistake but that’s not my philosophy. And it’s not my final word either that goes, but that of the board. I could say that I want this or that player but if he is of nu use to Mazzarri, then what’s the point in buying him?”
Is it true that in the contract to buy Inter there is a clause which requires a new stadium to be built?
“Íf you look at the revenue of the big clubs you see that the stadium weighs in a lot. DC United play in a stadium, RFK, from 1956 which was built for baseball with a diamond shaped pitch which isn’t suitable for football. We’re working towards a new stadium, but it doesn’t make sense to build it for 40,000 people capacity. In the USA we’re working with different numbers. At Inter we have to study well what’s the best thing to do, whether to build a new stadium or to stay at the San Siro. This stadium is legendary but the structure is very old. I was there 2 months ago and there weren’t any spaces to eat, very few elevators, you have to use the stairs and thousand other things are missing. In modern stadiums such as Arsenal’s Emirates, the VIP boxes count for 30% of the revenue. We have to think of these things but I don’t want to make a decision which we can’t afford to implement.”
What’s your sporting background?
“I used to play basketball and despite lacking the height I was a good guard. Also I coached when we didn’t have money to have a real coach. Football? I played 7-aside because at 14-15 I realized that if I played on a full-size pitch 11 against 11 I would risk injuries which meant that I wouldn’t be able to play basketball. I wasn’t a great footballer but I think I can be a good director.”
Are you learning to speak Italian? And has it developed past the chant from the other day when you sang “If you don’t jump you’re a Milanista”?
“I have to learn Italian, but once you’re over 30 it’s very difficult to learn a new language.”
Have you thought of retiring the number 18 jersey in order to honor the years that Massimo Moratti has owned the club?
“It would be a nice gesture but I think he would tell me not to do it.”
