Inter CEO Beppe Marotta explained how he built winning teams for the Nerazzurri and Juventus: “I had to make a revolution.” Marotta was speaking at the Luiss University in Rome, and explained the process he undertook in Turin and Milan to overhaul both teams, revealing difficult decisions he had to make:
“In 2019 as soon as I arrived at Inter I sacrificed a figure like Luciano Spalletti, who I think is a good coach, but he was part of the present and the past. The culture that was there was not a winning one and I sacrificed a coach like him to get to Antonio Conte, who I knew well and who led us to win the Scudetto in his second year.
“The essence of a club is its logo and history; there is no president or player who is superior. When I arrived at Juventus in 2010, I changed all the roles, from the warehouse manager to marketing, drawing from within the company. Matteo Fabris, who was an employee of the youth sector, became the team manager and still is today. You have to delegate, empower those below you. Everyone should be given the opportunity to make mistakes. But if you don’t know who is responsible for an error, it means the structure isn’t working well. Making decisions and taking responsibility.”
He continued, addressing the prevalent culture of excuses in football, “A good manager provides the best for their team. When I arrived at Inter, I brought the best nutritionist from Juventus. Competence comes at a cost, but they are investments, not expenses.”
Reflecting on his time at Juventus, Marotta highlighted his approach to managing coaches, “When I arrived at Juventus, I found myself having to part ways with World Cup champions like Camoranesi. But you need the strength and ability to do so. I have never changed a coach mid-season. Also because even today, I don’t know the percentage of a coach’s merit in winning. According to me, it’s an important component, but players contribute a lot. With Allegri, we started the season and found ourselves thirteenth. I called Buffon, Chiellini, and Barzagli to understand the situation, and once we confirmed the coach wasn’t to blame, we continued with him. And we won the Scudetto.”
