October 17 – Italian Serie A holders Inter Milan have announced the acquisition of a Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment (MISA) licence, formalising their commitment to a strategic expansion in Saudi Arabia to further extend the club brand presence in the Middle East and grow their fanbase.
Inter will use its newfound freedom to open a number of ‘Inter Academy’ soccer schools in Saudi Arabia further building their network of ‘academies’ across the globe, having opened venues in London, Toronto and the USA, in the last year.
The club have also pledged to support for the development of youth and women’s football in the region.
The Italian Super Cup was hosted in the Kingdom in the summer, with Inter victorious in a 1-0 victory over Napoli. Across the last decade, the match (now a four-team tournament) has been hosted in the Middle East six times – 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.
The Italian Football Federation has close ties with Saudi and the Middle East, last week agreeing for them to host next year’s edition of the four-team tournament also.
The move seems to have paid off, as the club says that Arabic-speaking fans following the club’s social media profiles now exceed 5 million, making it the second-largest cluster in the entire Nerazzurri community.
“We’re extremely proud to be the first international football club to obtain the MISA licence, which will allow us to collaborate with local businesses to bring our experience and expertise in sports development to the country, contributing to achieving the targets set out in Vision 2030.” said Alessandro Antonello, CEO Corporate of FC Internazionale Milano. “Through this licence, the club is committed to creating value for Saudi Arabia by supporting the development of its sporting sector and promoting the involvement of local businesses as part of our global network.”
“At the heart of what we do at Inter is developing young players, both in footballing terms and, above all, as people. We’re ready to work hard to export our expertise to Saudi Arabia beyond the playing field by impacting social and cultural areas too,” said Javier Zanetti, Vice President of Inter.
On the pitch, Inter will look to regain their place at the top of the table versus AS Roma on Sunday. As things stand, the holders are two points off from leaders Napoli.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1729175537labto1729175537ofdlr1729175537owedi1729175537sni@g1729175537niwe.1729175537yrrah1729175537
