Inter Milan President Giuseppe Marotta recently shared his thoughts on the club’s current situation, including the partnership with Oaktree Capital, sustainability efforts, and the ongoing stadium issue during the Sport Talk Industry event in Rome.
Addressing the topic of sustainability, Marotta explained, “Today, we talk a lot about sustainability, and it’s normal because in the evolution of football, we’ve moved from the patronage that lasted until the ownerships of Moratti and Berlusconi to foreign funds. Now, the pursuit of sustainability is the primary goal: we need to maximize resources and contain costs, and we’re trying to do this.”
Regarding Oaktree Capital’s involvement, Marotta expressed optimism: “For us, it’s the reference model. We’re doing this while trying to always remain competitive because the sporting aspect drives everything else. Oaktree is supporting us, and we’ve developed greater strength compared to the past in terms of structures. We have precise roles and delegations, and I’m very satisfied. Becoming president for me means touching the sky with a finger, and I do it with the conviction that I can give great satisfaction to our fans.”
On the stadium issue, Marotta shared, “I haven’t followed the stadium matter concretely; Antonello has been dealing with it for many years. As president, I can’t back down, and I agree with Scaroni’s words. Today, the stadium represents important aspects to enhance a club’s sense of belonging; it’s the home of a club and a place of gathering.” He emphasized the stadium’s importance as an economic asset and a daily destination, not just a weekly event venue.
Marotta also made an appeal to politicians, highlighting the football industry’s contributions: “There’s little consideration from politics towards football. Football is a self-sustaining social phenomenon; we are major contributors to the state, guaranteeing about a billion a year while everyone thinks we receive contributions from the state.” He called for more streamlined laws for stadiums, reconsideration of betting sponsorship bans, and a comprehensive sports law.
In conclusion, Marotta stressed the need for unity in the football world: “Today, we are in a context of strong conflict in the football world, individualisms are too accentuated, and this conflict emerges in the media between the League and the Federation, but we must work through politics to have different laws. The Federation should only protect us; the rest must be done with the institutions.”
