Former Inter CEO Ernesto Paolillo feels that finishing in a top four spot in the Serie A table has to be treated as more important than reaching the Champions League final for the Nerazzurri this season.
Speaking to Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, the former Nerazzurri executive stressed how regardless of the sporting achievement of going far in the Champions League knockouts, failure to secure participation in the competition next season would be a financial disaster.
In Europe, Inter will feel that a place in the Champions League final is well within their reach, as they can reach the semifinals where they’d meet AC Milan if they see out their advantage against Benfica in the quarterfinals this evening.
In the league, by contrast, the Nerazzurri have seen their grasp on a top four spot slip from their grasp, leaving them with catching up to do if they’re to qualify for next season’s Champions League through their league finish.
Whilst the temptation to see a run all the way to the final in Europe’s top competition as redeeming a bad league season, the reality as Paolillo notes is that it would leave the team in a terrible financial position without Champions League revenues for at least a season.
At the “paradoxical” importance of finishing top four above reaching the Champions League final, Paolillo said that “It’s necessary for a lot of revenues from Champions League matches yesterday.”
“It’s absolutely necessary to finish in the top four, because it would hardly be easy to win the competition this season,” he added, “that’s what ensured vital revenues for the budget.”
As for the rumours that Suning could sell Inter, Paolillo said that “I have no news to give.”
“However, considering the level of the debt and also the rising interest rates, I don’t know how long this debt can be sustainable for Zhang, considering there are a thousand other reasons he can’t inject liquidity into the club,” he added.
