The former strategy and development manager of Aramco in Saudi Arabia has talked about how there was no interest from Aramco in buying a football club but PIF considered Inter, according to a report in the Italian media.
Speaking during an interview with Italian journalist Marco Barzaghi on the Sport Mediaset YouTube channel, via FCInter1908, Vincenzo Grittano took questions on Saudi Arabian money making its way into Italian football.
He first talked about how the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia had talked about buying Inter or perhaps one of AC Milan and Napoli and information was passed around about Inter by American bank Goldman Sachs.
“PIF-Inter? There have been approaches, there has been talk in Saudi Arabia about Inter as well as Milan and Napoli. Certainly dossiers in the hands of Goldman Sachs have been passed around among potential investors.
“Probably the matter was closed because of the debt situation of the clubs and perhaps also because of the demands of the sellers. To my knowledge, at the moment there are no investments planned in Italy.”
PIF ended up buying Newcastle United in the Premier League instead and have funnelled money into the club.
Aramco is the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia and they have been linked with buying Inter through that vehicle. Vincenzo Grittano said he knew nothing about these plans.
“Aramco? I worked there from 2011 to 2021 and as far as I know there is no interest in buying a football club. It would only buy assets in the oil sector, it will never make such investments.”
