BALI - "Our fans are very important, they're a part of our family." This is how Erick Thohir began his interview with Bola, last weekend, when he was in Bali for the 12th birthday of Inter Club Indonesia. Read the key passages from the interview here on inter.it.
"The fans are the heartbeat of the club. The management is the brain and the players are the muscles. The combination of these three parts is essential. And when I say the supporters are important, I'm not only thinking about those in Italy, but fans from all over the world. There are 15 million of them in Indonesia for example.
"The supporters in Italy have the chance to go to the stadium and follow the team up close but for everyone else we need to constantly think about how to involve them from afar. We can do so via new technology but also with events, like this one in Bali with a legend like Youri Djorkaeff, the tour to China this summer and Javier Zanetti's visit to the same country. Alternatively we can do so via projects that are important to us like Inter Campus, which puts a smile back on the faces of children in need around the world. Then occasionally something amazing happens, like in the case of Murillo, who used to attend Inter Campus and is now one of our defenders. We're also trying to create lots of facilities for the supporters at the stadium. The Family stand is an example of that, for an exclusive, fun and safe experience."
The president also gave his thoughts on the transfer window: "This is the quality side we've been wanting to put together, with Massimo Moratti too, so that Inter can compete in Serie A and return to the Champions League. Roberto Mancini has our full backing. But we also need the fans' support throughout this season, when games are going well but also when that's not the case. At home, at the San Siro, first and foremost.
"While we're on the subject of transfers, I would like to stress that our all decisions are made together. They're not just down to the president, coach or management. Football is a team game. From time to time we all express our own opinions, which can differ from one another. In the end though, decisions are shared and they're all for the good of the club. Now the team has a number of different options and they're all quality players. We've decided to back some of the players who were already at the club, while other new players have come in during the transfer window to strengthen the squad.
"Our aims for the season are as follows: we're a Champions League club so we want to get back into the competition. But Mancini said it himself. We're Inter and we have to aim for the top, so why not strive for the Scudetto? It won't be easy of course, Juventus have been dominating Italian football for years, but we working towards that and always try to do our best."
Thohir then mooted a possibility, in response to a question from a fan: "Could we have Inter Channel in Indonesia and China? There are lots of Nerazzurri fans in these two countries and it would fantastic to have our club channel in those two countries' languages."
The president was then asked if he has ever considered a position at the head of the Indonesian Football Association: "I've never thought about it. What I do always think about though is how we can help football and sport in general to develop. I really love basketball for example. We have a population of 250 million who love sport in general and football in particular, let's not forget that. The President's Cup, which has just begun, is an example of the help we can give sport in our country. I dream that one day we can have a top-level league and national team. And I hope one day Indonesia can host the World Cup."
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