By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – Inter Milan, winners of 18 Italian league titles, have become the latest iconic European club to be taken over by foreign investors. A trio of Indonesian businessmen led by media tycoon Erick Thohir have bought a 70% stake in the Serie A giants.
Internationale, as the club is officially known, did not disclose the value of deal, but various reports estimated it to be between €250-350 million and said the two parties had been negotiating for some time in an attempt to bring in fresh capital.
Inter President Massimo Moratti said the club’s history would be enriched “thanks to our new international partners who, I am sure, will contribute to a continued string of successes. The new partners’ enthusiasm and pragmatism are certainly a guarantee for the future.”
Thohir is part owner of both DC United in Major League Soccer in the United States, and the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team. He is chairman of the Mahaka Group, which has business interests in media and entertainment and has also served as vice-president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee. The other two partners in the deal have been named as Rosan Roeslani and Handy Soetedjo.
Inter have not won a major trophy since 2010 and last season finished a distant ninth in Serie A. Italian reports said the Moratti family would continue as minority investors, but made no mention of whether Massimo would remain as club president.
Thohir, a media entrepreneur, is the first Asian to invest in one of Italy’s top clubs. “Today is a truly special day in my life,” he was quoted as saying. “I am honoured that Mr. Moratti has entrusted me with the responsibility to lead Inter into the next chapter, and I am excited to have him continue in the future as my partner.
“The job done by the Moratti family, from Angelo’s great Inter to Massimo’s treble record, has made Inter one of the most respected clubs in the world. I am an entrepreneur but first of all I am a supporter and a sports lover. I cannot wait to put our passion and international experience at the service of this fantastic club and its supporters.”
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