Dubai: Inter Milan’s vice-president Javier Zanetti has tipped the club’s Chinese owners to get the Nerazzuri back to the top again.
Nanjing-based Suning Holdings Group, China’s largest privately owned retail firm, acquired a majority share of the Italian club in June, but the turnaround hasn’t been immediate.
Frank de Boer was sacked in November while the club was 12th in Serie A. Under his replacement Stefano Pioli they have gained five places in the domestic league, winning four of the last five games, but they also finished bottom of their Europa League group.
Speaking in general about Asian ownership of European clubs at the Dubai International Sports Conference on Wednesday, Argentinian-born former defender Zanetti, 43, who made over 600 appearances for Inter between 1995 and 2014, said: “I think it’s very important because it will allow European football to grow.
“I’m vice president of Inter which is owned by a very serious Chinese group with a lot of ambition. They want to start a new cycle and make history at Inter and I hope we are able to achieve that because I see a future with a lot of prospects and great results.
“We all have to work together to serve the owners. The club is already important,” he added of Inter, who have won 18 league titles and three Champions League honours, the last of which were both won in 2010. “But we want to have better achievements above that, which will allow Inter through its values to be a very important club in world football again.
“In the last few years we’ve made a lot of changes but now we have a very serious Chinese group in with clear ideas and I hope we can all work together and do a good job so that Inter can fight to be at the top again and be a protagonist in the most important competitions.”
