The futures at Inter of both Marco Branca and Indonesian shareholder Rosan Roeslani look increasingly short-term.
The futures at Inter of both Marco Branca and Indonesian shareholder Rosan Roeslani look increasingly short-term.
Retired striker Branca [pictured] has been a part of the Nerazzurri’s behind-the-scenes management since 2002, but has come under increased scrutiny of late for his role as sporting director in assembling the current playing squad.
With that squad currently struggling for form in Serie A, speculation has turned to new owner Erick Thohir’s plans to restructure at management level and speculation is mounting that Branca is first in line to leave.
On from reports yesterday along this line, the Corriere dello Sport today suggest that the 49-year-old’s exit is imminent and could be confirmed inside the next few days.
It is understood that Branca will be the first of a number of changes in the coming six months by Thohir, once the new owner has shifted debt previous President Massimo Moratti had secured with Italian banks to Asian institutions instead.
Speculation also is that junior partner in Thohir’s original takeover, Rosan Roeslani, is also on his way out amid conflict with Asia Resource Minerals – formerly Bumi – over missing funds totalling $173m.
Roeslani, who missed a December 26 deadline to repay that amount, is seen as likely to see his shares at Inter bought out by either Thohir or Indonesian conglomerate the Bakrie Group.
Thohir is seen as holding 35 per cent shares at Inter, Massimo Moratti a 30 per cent stake and Roeslani and Handy Soetedjo believed to have split the remaining 30 per cent between them, although Roeslani’s investment remains unclear.
The total 70 per cent that Thohir, Roeslani and Soetedjo bought out in October cost an estimated €275m – €75m for the purchase, with a further €200m of debt taken on.