Italian journalist Gad Lerner does not believe that the InterSpac initiative for fan ownership at the Nerazzurri has come to a stop despite a temporary standstill.
Speaking to Italian news outlet FCInter1908, Lerner gave updates about the status of the project and explained that he expects further developments to come up in due course.
The InterSpac project aims to change the ownership model at the Nerazzurri from the current one where the club has a single owner to one closer to that among German clubs, in which shares are held by fans.
InterSpac President Carlo Cottarelli has updated on the developments in the project, which has reached the stage of a survey to gauge interest in the project, but has yet to reach the stage of a concrete proposal to current club owners Suning.
As Lerner explained, however, the intention is still to move forward and attempt to work with Suning when it becomes possible to do so.
“As I understand it, it is at a standstill,” he said of the project, “but in the sense that Carlo Cottarelli is confirming the numbers involved, which can only be done with a consultancy company, to verify how many shares it is realistic to ask the fans to purchase and to arrive then at a specific number of shareholders as part of a proposal.”
He went on that “There is skepticism, but also respect for the project on the part of those who manage the company currently.”
“I understand that there have been contacts and that the official statements from Marotta, who basically gave us a pat on the back without any real confidence, reflect instead the desire of the Chinese owners to wait and see,” Lerner continued.”
“Of course,” he added, “if they want to get rid of Inter quickly, they wouldn’t care less about an operation like InterSpac.”
“But if, on the other hand, they were ‘forced’ to remain for whatever reason, a source of money that comes from below could represent a useful social and cultural experiment,” he explained.
Lerner clarified that “I’m not an InterSpac spokesperson, I’m just a partner. I don’t have the skills to manage these kinds of organizations. But I have faith in Cottarelli.”
“I don’t think we have thrown in the towel,” he went on, “especially because we have generated high expectations. The number of people who ask me how to pay the fee to get involved is always growing.”
“The fees will be paid when there is a sensible agreement with the owners,” he explained. “But the expectations that have been created are really high.”
He continued that “I believe that our example, which we took from the Bayern Munich model, could also be followed by other teams.”
On whether the proposal to Suning can be expected sometime in November or December as Cottarelli has stated Lerner said that “I can confirm this, I believe that this was the time necessary to get the results from the consultancy company in charge.”
