JAKARTA
– Inter's mission in Indonesia has officially begun. The press conference is
underway at the Hotel Mulia Senayan in Jakarta to present the end-of-season
tour that will see the Nerazzurri play two friendlies at the Gelora Bung
Karno Stadium (pictured) in May. The first opponent will be the Indonesian
national team, followed by a match against an Indonesian select team, which will consist of the
best local and foreign players from the Divisi Utama, the 36-team league
divided into two groups of 18, from which Persipura Jayapura emerged as winners
last season.
For about 20 years Italian football has been closely and passionately followed in Indonesia, and there are many Nerazzurri fans who will be waiting to see their favourite team. Many belong to the Inter Club Indonesia, which is organised in more than 40 regional branches. The tour of Claudio Ranieri's team is organised by PT Triowarna Gempita and will take place, depending on commitments, either from 23 to 27 May or from 16 to 20 May 2012.
At the presentation press conference held at the Hotel Mulia Senayan, Inter's managing director and chief operating officer Ernesto Paolillo has just concluded his speech and delivered greetings from president Massimo Moratti, underlining the pride that the entire club feels for the invitation:
"The tour in May will be an opportunity to embrace our many fans in
Indonesia and to once again experience an important football country firsthand.
Since its foundation, Inter has been a club that is open to the
world. So of course we accepted the invitation from TWG with great enthusiasm.
It will be an opportunity to see our champions up close and get to know a
club that is legendary in its success on the pitch as well as being an example
in Europe for its development of players through a modern youth sector and
international academy. And we mustn't ever forget the attention that the
Moratti family has always shown regarding the social aspects of sport, which
come to fruition through Inter Campus," stated Paolillo.
The
Inter delegation has been in Jakarta for a few days now. Paolillo, accompanied
by commercial director Mario De Vivo, has had the opportunity to meet with
president of the Indonesian football association, local institutions and
businesses in order to work out the details for the tour in May.