The managing director of Oaktree Global Opportunities, major investors in Inter, has said that it is not in their plans to have full ownership of the club although that could change, according to a report in the Italian media.
Speaking during the Business of Football Summit that has been organised by the Financial Times and reported on by Calcio e Finanza, Alejandro Cano took questions about the company’s involvement with football and with Inter specifically.
Alejandro Cano was asked how many chances Oaktree Global Opportunities have had to buy the club from Suning but he says that it is not in their plans to do that, at least for the time being.
“It’s not our plan, we want to work as excellent partners and offer support, but who knows.”
He then explained the general thought process behind Oaktree Global Opportunities’ decision to invest in a football team.
“We can invest in different sectors and ways. For football, the need for capital was clear, this was the way to enter this world and see if we could invest.
“We decided it was interesting for two reasons: it is a worldwide sport, excellent in the long term and with growth potential; the ecosystem is positioning itself to be more financially sustainable, which means more profit.
“We evaluated the situation, then Covid expanded the possibilities and the need for more urgent capital.”
As for why the fund chose Inter as its place for investing money into sport, Alejandro Cano said that the fact Inter is a top club with fans all over the world was a major factor.
“What brought us to sport is a combination of capital need and a horizon of sustainability. Inter is a top club for followers in the world, it was the opportunity to play a role and support a club and we did it.”
