Inter CEO Michael Bolingbroke has been speaking to BolaNews, TopSkor and Goal.com in Jakarta, touching on a variety of topics including the club’s current targets, its relationship with Asia and Indonesia and the Nerazzurri’s stadium plans. We bring you the highlights here.
ASIA AND INDONESIA
"Interest for football in Asia is growing very considerably. The expectations around football are very high here, and that’s why there’s a big focus on European football now. The Premier League is enjoying great success in Asia, but Serie A is also successful and will continue to be. I’d like to see Inter play in Asia during the preseason tour – perhaps we’ll be back very soon! Let’s not forget that Inter have a very special bond with Indonesia, of course, given that Erick Thohir is our president. One of our objectives is to celebrate that relationship, creating stronger ties between Italy and Indonesia through football. We have a huge fan base here and it’s a bond I’d like to see grow even further – that’s very important for us.
"An Inter preseason tour to Indonesia in the summer? We haven’t finalised our tour yet but we will most likely be coming to Asia, and Indonesia is certainly one of the countries we would like to come to. I’ve never been to Jakarta before and the hospitality and the welcome here have been fantastic.
"Increasing the connection with Asia is important for Inter and for Serie A as a whole. One of the main areas of growth for Serie A is the increase of international viewers and the development of brand Italy. Our league has already had great success in monetising its domestic following in Italy, but I think there is great potential for developing the international fan base, so I’d like to see this growth in Asia and in the United States. That’s what I think the league needs to be concentrating on, by rethinking the kick-off times with different time zones in mind, for example.
"Are we tracking Asian players? We give the coach the scope to view players from all over the world. Obviously, if we find an Asian player that fits the bill, we’ll work hard to offer them a place in the squad. At a youth level, we’re looking at the potential of academies. For example, in Asia we’re having great success with the Inter Academy project in Japan, but we’re working to export that to other countries. There’s no reason why Inter Academy can’t soon be in Indonesia too."
THOHIR, VISION AND OBJECTIVES
"Erick Thohir was one of the principle reasons behind my arrival at Inter. He’s a very dynamic entrepreneur whose charisma and vision persuaded me to leave Manchester United for a fascinating new adventure. He has great vision for the club, as does Massimo Moratti. For me, it’s a privilege to be able to work with them and enact what they’re dreaming about.
"The club now needs to focus on its medium-term objectives, one of which is being one of the top ten clubs in the world, both on the pitch and off of it. A critical part of that is consistent participation in the Champions League. Obviously, we’d still like that to start from next year, but if it’s not until the year after it doesn’t change anything – it doesn’t mean our plans are not going to work. We have a medium-term plan and Mancini hasn’t had a summer transfer window to build his team. This summer, he’ll have the chance to build the team he wants, so that he can play the formations he wants. I think then he’ll have his own team around him. I’m looking forward to next season and think it’ll be a great season for the club. Will Mancini definitely stay? Of course, unless you know something I don’t!
"In order to be among the top ten clubs in the world, away from the pitch we’re focusing on various business areas, such as increasing stadium revenue. We’re also working on the commercial revenue and on how to boost this with different kinds of sponsorship. We also want to reach fans right around the world, and digital media provide us with a very powerful tool with which to do that.
"To achieve all of this, president Thohir has assembled a team of managers who represent the best in their respective fields, from all over the world. After all, the name of our club is Internazionale!"
RESILIENT TEAM
"When you’re on a winning streak, the team has more confidence and it’s easier for them in general. However, the Inter players are all professionals and take the rough with the smooth. They’ve shown they can rise up, analyse what went wrong and focus on the next game. Is Icardi the symbol of this thick-skinned team? Well, I wouldn’t like to play against someone like Icardi! He’s fantastic."
STADIUM
"We’ve already said that our first choice is to stay at San Siro and renovate the stadium, which would be a major project. For this reason, there are discussions in progress with the council. We’ll need to put significant investment into the stadium to turn it into a modern-day stadium, and obviously we’ll need to agree that investment with the council. It’s still very early days and AC Milan have quite some way to go in finalising their plans. What would happen if AC Milan didn’t leave? Well, we need a home. For the club and for the fans, it would be great to have our own stadium. San Siro is our first choice, but if it’s not possible there’s always a plan B.
"We’re already working on making the stadium experience even more entertaining and safer. Making the stadium a safe, fun place for families is a very important thing, so we’re looking at developing a family stand for men, women and children."
FFP
"In regard to Financial Fair Play, UEFA are working with us to find a resolution. We’ve had a number of meetings with them and we’re continuing to do so, so we’ll let you know when everything is resolved. As of yet, there’s been no decision. In any case, we believe in UEFA and in Financial Fair Play. From our side, there’s the utmost respect."
PARMA
"What’s happening at Parma is dreadfully sad. The Italian league is not the only one to have teams facing bankruptcy – it happens in England too. What’s happening at Parma is very, very unfortunate, as there are employees, players and stakeholders suffering. The important thing is that all the other teams and the Lega do everything they can to help Parma. That’s the right thing to do. Moreover, it’s about preserving an historic part of Italian football – the fact that you’re asking me about the situation shows that it’s being followed all over the world. I think it’s important to take the right steps. Having said that, I think this is a wider issue: football is just like any other business and needs to be managed well, with sound judgement and appropriate governance. I’m sure changes will be implemented to help teams to avoid ending up in those situations in the future. In football – just like in any other business – money comes in and money comes out and you need to make sure that there’s not more going out than there is coming in. Historically speaking, football clubs are part of a community, and so if a club disappears this probably has a much bigger effect on the local community than any other business, because they’re woven into the community."
Versión Española 日本語版 Versi Bahasa Indonesia Versione Italiana
