Beppe Marotta admits he didn’t expect to be named new Inter President so he is grateful to Oaktree, but insists he will need ‘support’ from the whole club and his closest collaborators.
Marotta was named the new Inter President on Tuesday by new club owner Oaktree.
On Tuesday, the American fund named a new board of directors and promoted Marotta, who had practically run the club since the COVID pandemic and following Suning’s financial issues.
“It’s a great emotion. Being the president of such a big club in world football is thrilling and inspiring,” Marotta told reporters after Tuesday’s board of directors meeting.
“I am a President who loves his job, which I believe I know well. However, I am at a great club, so I’ll need support from everyone. Women and men who work internally, especially my colleagues Ausilio and Baccin, Antonello, and Zanetti.
“Our model is based on great human heritage, which is the starting point of every success and includes competence and motivation,” continued Marotta.
Marotta didn’t expect to become Inter President: ‘Grateful to Oaktree’
“As a president, I think about Giacinto Facchetti who has a similar profile as mine. Clearly, it’s no longer a time for presidents who make big investments, like Moratti, Frezzoli or Ernesto Pellegrini. Unfortunately, football has a different dimension today, but surely, these presidents have instilled in me the path to follow. Each one of them has a big value.
“I can’t forget about Steven Zhang. Despite being young, he gave a lot to this club. I’ve already thanked Oaktree for their trust. It was unexpected and I am grateful for this big opportunity.”
Marotta’s first speech as Inter President
Marotta had previously held his first speech as a president during the board of directors meeting, which was entirely reported by Inter’s official website.
“I would like to thank Oaktree for their decision to appoint me to the role of President of Inter. I am honored by the trust they have placed in me,” said Marotta.
“Since the day the new ownership was announced, Oaktree’s managers have been very present and open to dialogue. This is proof of how much the new ownership cares about the club’s development. In its first statements, Oaktree guaranteed the continuity of Inter’s management. I think that today we can recognize the new owners have followed up their words with a tangible and concrete fact. We also recognize that Oaktree has from the very beginning had great awareness about the historical legacy, tradition, and values of our club.
“Over the past few days, our meetings have been frequent, and it has been very clear to me that Oaktree’s vision aligns with the path that the Nerazzurri management has been on for some years now.
“Inter has in its DNA the pursuit of victory and, with great merit, again this year we have a very important success to celebrate. The Second Star Scudetto consigns to history a season that laid the foundation for the future on the field.
“Winning in football today, above all, means having financial sustainability. This is not the first time this meeting has heard me say this to you: it is a deep conviction I have had for a long time. There is no future victory without financial stability, and there is no stability without a balance in the medium term for Inter’s accounts. Oaktree and this management team are called to a very difficult task: it is the challenge to ensure that the Nerazzurri family can excel and maintain the leadership role we has won in Italy and to which we also aspire to have at the European level.
“From what I have said so far, you will understand why my first feeling upon being appointed Chairman is undoubtedly a sense of responsibility, accompanied, I confess, by a certain pride.
“The sense of responsibility, I would almost say the spirit of service, will guide me to give to Inter, the players, the fans, the shareholders and all the members of this Nerazzurri community, which five years ago welcomed me, all my energy and expertise to achieve the best possible results both off and on the field.
Best social media reactions as Marotta named new Inter President
“Every day from 2019 to the present, I have witnessed the dedication, professionalism and self-sacrifice of the women and men who work for this club. I think, on such an important occasion, it is only right to mention them because we all know that nothing would be possible if we did not have a team of people in the shadows who dedicate their time at the cost of great personal sacrifice. Working in football, working at Inter, is a privilege for all of us who know that we represent tens of millions of fans around the world. It is a mission that must always be guided by a great sense of responsibility. Our journey continues with a very exciting new step that we will complete together, as we have always done.
“Before I pass the floor over to my traveling companion, Corporate CEO, Alessandro Antonello, allow me a very personal moment. I have been in love with football for as long as I can remember. I have been dedicated to this movement all my life, and football has rewarded me with a path that has been built step by step, brick by brick. Rising to the presidency of a club as prestigious as Inter generates an emotion that a young boy entering the Varese locker room at 17 years of age could never have imagined. This emotion, combined with the experience of nearly 50 years of soccer, I offer to this community!”
Marotta was appointed as Inter’s CEO in 2018 by former President Zhang.
Marotta had spent eight years at Juventus and during his spell at the Stadio Meazza, the Nerazzurri returned to the Champions League on a regular basis and won five trophies, including two Serie A titles.