APPIANO GENTILE – Having had three months to take on board all of Inter's ideas, aims and plans, chief executive Marco Fassone spoke to the club's partner companies during the course of what was his first Workshop since joining the Nerazzurri.
"I'm delighted to be here this evening, especially as I recognise quite a few faces: many of you have accompanied me in my now rather long career. This is my fourth club so I've had the chance to share experiences and moments of personal and professional growth with lots of you. It's a pleasure to see you again, just as it's a pleasure to meet other partners for the first time as we set off on a new path together. This talk will obviously be little more than a greeting on my behalf since I've only been here for three months, but I'd like to talk to you about what I've experienced in that time, and touch on the plans, promises and hopes for our future."
The Nerazzurri managing director explained: "I've joined a club and an adventure that I find truly stimulating, beyond the change of city and culture, because I think what the president said earlier, in his own way, with enthusiasm and passion, is actually the essence of the real Inter. I've had occasion to discuss with the president some rather cold topics, business-oriented matters let's say, only to then be overwhelmed by the true passion of football, which you can find even within the context of a professional club like ours.
"It occurred to me that in times of economic hardship such as the one our country, and not only our country, is going through, a time perhaps never known before because people my age have seen various cycles in our country's history but nothing like this - and we may still be caught up in the middle of it - I thought that at times like this, the choices made by people like you in particular, marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, CEOs, carry greater importance than at other times. I believe it's vital to make investment choices based on the differences. The first part of Mr Moratti's talk placed great emphasis on that sense of difference, which is defined not only by the passion you see in the president and others I've met here but also in the values which were set out very clearly. The opportunity your company has to associate its name with Inter's is more than just associating with the results on the pitch. What I find reassuring is the utter conviction in certain values - though that has meant making sacrifices. The ethics, the desire. Those aren't just words to put on a slide; they are a fundamental part of what this club is about."
Fassone continued: "By associating your brand with our company, you have the guarantee that your investment will maintain its value. And at a time when Italian football and its brand are struggling, all things considered, Inter lead the way in various aspects. This has helped the club to achieve the best results on the pitch over the last five years, but we are also ahead in other areas where Italian football is struggling. We are the club with highest number of regular spectators at the stadium, with an average attendance of 45,000, and we have the most season ticket holders. It might only be a small sign, and of course it happened before I arrived, but there's also the laying of the new playing surface, because you couldn't keep playing on a sub-standard pitch. So on one side we have values, on the other we have results and achievements on the pitch, and attention to the details that create an atmosphere and the theatre. These are all consolidated areas, they already exist. Then there's the future element, the projects and the ambitions - that's what excites us and it's what has been running through my mind during the three months I've been here, trying to set up a project. A project that is being developed partly by myself and partly by Andrea Stramaccioni on the footballing side, with a young team. That is an asset, a way for us to develop but also for those of you who are investing to develop. The president said this is a turning point. The important thing whenever you make a change is to look into the past so that you can capitalise on the future. Besides improving in Italy, what our clubs must focus on developing now if they want to be competitive is the global aspect. I fully agree with the president about looking beyond the Italian borders. I've seen astonishing numbers of fans and people interested in what Inter do around the world - in China but also in South America and Eastern Europe.
"So there we are then," Fassone concluded. "Apart from saying hello and telling you about what I've experienced so far, this was also the opportunity to mention a project that will become more clearly defined over the coming months. The support provided by our commercial partners, by those who believe in us even in these tough economic times, is a crucial to us. And to reassure you in that sense, I can tell you that we keep a very close eye on all the small and large factors that enable your investment to produce results. We're very much aware of how important it is to you that Inter brings your brand into prominence. We're always very careful, we use your experience and we offer you our enthusiasm in the belief, in the knowledge, that being together, being close to Inter, will make us stronger and you stronger."
