Inter CEO Beppe Marotta feels that the current Nerazzurri owners Suning deserve a lot of thanks for the financial commitments they’ve made to the club.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia while at the Gran Gala dal Calcio, the Nerazzurri executive gave his thoughts on the financial contributions of the owners, and also spoke about other important topics around Inter.
Suning have come in for some criticism in the past couple years for the financial restrictions that have emerged at Inter due to their own financial difficulties during the pandemic.
However, the owners have also made significant financial contributions to the club over the years, something that Marotta was keen to stress.
Of the rumours of the owners having put Inter up for sale, the CEO said that “I can say that these have been recurring rumours over the past two years, but they shouldn’t distract us from thanking the Zhang family for putting over €800 million into the club over the years.”
“During this difficult and critical moment for all of society, they are continuing to honour the financial commitments to outside parties, so that we’re able to focus entirely on sporting matters,” he added.
“I will just say that this whole situation is above my pay grade,” Marotta remarked, “but we must not fail to thank the owners, because up to now they’ve made it so that we don’t want for anything.”
Asked if there’s a particular Ballon d’Or candidate that he’d like to sign at Inter, Marotta responded that “I’d also sign the losers, they’re all top-level players and signing players like that would be a utopian dream for us.”
“I won’t give a name, there’s not just one, they are all great players but the Ballon d’Or must be awarded to just one, but I would say it’s deserved by many players.”
“Whoever wins, the margins are very fine,” the CEO said of the competition for the Ballon d’Or, “so I’d just close my eyes and pick one at random.”
Of the team’s seeming recovery on the pitch after a rocky start to the season, Marotta said that “We have to keep on the path of improving, but the worst is over for us.”
“It’s as if we started with an invisible handicap that can’t be explained, but then the players did very well to pick themselves back up in the locker room, and the coach did equally well.”
“They’ve all done well to get compact again and get back to being like the team that brought us success last season,” he said.
Marotta explained that “The team lacked the kind of chemistry that’s necesssary to win, but they rediscovered it and emerged in convincing fashion.”
Of the position of coach Simone Inzaghi, Marotta said that “We always knew we’re dealing with a good coach and an exemplary professional, we never thought for a second that we’d consider changing coach or that he wouldn’t be up to the task.”
“It’s normal that we as directors have an obligation to support the coaching staff.”
Regarding the contract talks with defender Milan Skriniar, the CEO said that “We’ll certainly meet in the next few weeks.”
“I hope it will be a calm negotiation because everything seems to be in place to reach a positive agreement.”
“Skriniar is a very serious person and attached to these colours,” he said of the defender, “so I can only be optimistic.”
“I wouldn’t give a percentage prediction, these decisions are always made on both sides, but on Skriniar’s part his love for the club has been shown on numerous occasions,” he said.
“And for us there’s immense respect for the player.”
And of the Serie A title race, Marotta said that “In my opinion it’s important to stay as close as we can to the top of the table for the rest of this initial period before the World Cup break.”
“After the league restarts it will be a new title race, and if we can stay in touching distance at the top we can be one of the favourites,” he added.
