After the tumult of Conte’s farewell , the fans were expecting Zhang’s statements on Inter to reassure themselves; the president has spoken but the fans are more upset and worried than before, because of what he said. Practically, the nerazzurri number 1 confirmed that it is time for transfers and the entry market will be very narrow. Proof of this is the purchase of Cordaz, the 38-year-old goalkeeper of the last in the standings, as Handanovic ‘s deputy .
He therefore left it to be understood that it will be difficult to repeat himself and win another championship but he will try to be competitive despite the reduction in costs.
Statements by Zhang Inter – The Numbers
Let’s talk about Inter Milan nowSuning and let’s see some statistics and some numbers that have characterized it over the years. In June 2016 the Suning group buys Inter from president Thoir and in October 2018 Zhang becomes the president of the Milan team.
From 2016 to date, investments on the market amounted to approximately 500 million euros; Inter fans all over the world have become 500 million and the huge growth on social networks has registered a + 232%. The number of employees at the club has risen from 160 in 2016 to around 600 today. With Zhang , the club has also equipped itself with various infrastructures and the business value has grown by 120%.
For 5 years, the team had the largest influx of fans and season tickets to the stadiums ofSerie A. However, the net debt also increased, which in June 2020 amounted to 323 million. As we said some time ago, the OAKTREE fund provided a loan to the Suning group, most of which went into Inter’s coffers; this, hopefully, will help improve the situation at the Nerazzurri.
Interview Zhang
During the long interview with the Gazzetta , the president Zhang talked about several topics, obviously arousing the interest of the fans.
Regarding OAKTREE’s financial situation and loan,the number 1 declared that Covid was, from an economic point of view, a blow for Inter, as for all the big European clubs. Therefore, he had to find resources outside, given the lack of revenues deriving from the stadium, and he is trying to manage the situation in the best possible way. The rumors of speculation, according to the president, were all baseless.
Regarding the alleged offers to buy Inter , Zhang said that there were none, also because, in these times of crisis, it is difficult for large groups to invest in football. According to him, the only way to attract investors is to contain costs.
On the Superlega, the Inter number one declared that Covid has aggravated the economic crisis of the big clubs, which already existed before, and that the football system must be reviewed. The Super League was moving in this direction but any reforms will have to be agreed with UEFA and FIFA .
He also declared himself in favor of the possibility of building a new stadium, which, for other clubs, proved to be a good strategy in the long term and then spoke of Conte.On the now former Inter coach, the president declared that the choice to focus on a trained and ambitious coach like the Lecce player turned out to be the right one. The issue was that, after the losses due to the pandemic, there were differences in objectives between the company and the Count; for this reason, the farewell was inevitable because we had to think about the economic solidity of the company.
On Simone Inzaghi , Zhang has spent nice words, saying that he is a technician with a lot of experience and value, who has embraced the company’s project and who will contribute to making the team competitive in the future as well.
Even on Lukaku there were only words of praise and, with regard to the economic objectives, there is talk of making large capital gains to remain competitive in view of the Champions League . On the scudetto, the president said that winning it back will be difficult and that it is better to enjoy what he won this year. This, perhaps, is the part that worries Inter
fans most .
