Moratti trusts new owners with Inter

Football | Italy

 

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has said he expects the club, which he likened to a "very important and fast car" to be in good hands when Erick Thohir becomes the new owner next month.
Indonesian businessman Thohir heads a small consortium which acquired a majority 70 percent stake in the Serie A giants recently and is expected to officially be declared the new owner in three weeks.
Moratti, whose father Angelo owned Inter during a golden era from 1955 to 1968, has owned Inter for the past 18 years, seeing the club win a record five consecutive Serie A titles, four Italian Cups, four Italian Super Cups, one Champions League title, one Uefa Cup and one Club World Cup title.
Despite uncertainties over his future role and Inter's current slump –they finished ninth last season, missing out on European qualification – Moratti said he was confident the intentions of the club's "competent" new owners were clear.


"I don't think there will be any drastic changes," Moratti told the club's website after a shareholders meeting late Friday.
"I think the people coming in will be very careful to make sure they build something that is valid because they know very well that what they are handling here is a very important and very fast car, so they need to know how to drive it and they'll do it extremely carefully.
"I think they have the competence and the substance to do that well. I'm optimistic about their management."
Moratti said the club's new eight-man board will feature three members from the existing structure: "It should be more or less like that."
He also indicated the club would officially become Thohir's on November 15: "The 15th is more likely."
Thohir, who is expected to make his first appearance at an Inter home game against Livorno on November 9, said last week he believes the club's 'Primavera' youth team holds one of the keys to future success.
"My dream? It's to use more players from the youth team, which is doing very well in their own championship," Thohir said.

"We need to be confident. I think a number of younger Italian players are worth giving a shot in the first team to show what they have to offer."
Thohir – who has one eye on opening up new markets and fan bases in Asia, including Japan – added that he wants a "mixture of experience and youth, led by players like Colombian Fredy Guarin and (Japan's Yuto) Nagatomo."
Such statements are likely to stun fans hoping Thohir's millions will mean the purchase of established big-name stars from Europe and beyond.
But the 43-year-old insisted: "I've come to Inter to win."
Thohir, who made his fortune in establishing and taking over media companies, is no stranger to the international sports business arena.
He bought into Major League Soccer club DC United and the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team, both of which showed marked improvements in performance since his involvement.