May 6 – Inter Milan’s Chinese president Steven Zhang says he stands by his attack on Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino whom he branded a “clown” over the league’s rescheduling of fixtures as a result of Covid-19.
A number of top-flight games in Italy have been affected by the outbreak, including Inter’s top-of-the-table clash against Juventus which was called off last weekend with 24 hours’ notice.
Zhang rebuked Dal Pino for putting football before public health by refusing to postpone the game in Turin and instead rescheduling it for May 13.
Speaking at the FT Football Summit in London on Thursday, Zhang, 28-year old son of Zhang Jindong, the billionaire founder of China’s Suning retail conglomerate, said he did not regret his choice of language.
“A lot of people think my words are strong but when protecting people and safety, words are never too strong. We always have to deliver a positive message and take responsibility for the public,” he said.
“Playing behind closed doors is the right thing to do, it’s the correct choice so that people don’t take any risks. Playing a match without fans is difficult from many points of view and nobody likes it, but it’s necessary to go ahead with the calendar and all the activities, privileging public health above all else. It’s currently the only viable option.”
Zhang, who was made president of Inter in 2018 after the company paid €270 million for a majority stake in the club, added: “When this individual proposed that we move the game with one day’s notice in order to have audiences going to a stadium in such a situation .. (it) is completely wrong. Safety and security of public health is the most important thing and nothing can be compromised. Commercial revenue should not be the main priority”
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