Inter Milan president Beppe Marotta has expressed concern about Serie A’s limited financial resources compared to their top European rivals.
In a recent interview with FCInter1908, Marotta compared running a football club to running a business.
Despite their long history of outstanding performance in European football, Italian clubs have remained relatively unknown in the transfer market.
Indeed, the Premier League outfit continues to dominate the continent’s landscape.
Furthermore, they leverage their impressive broadcasting revenues to dominate foreign competitors in the market.
Elsewhere, Barcelona and Real Madrid maintain their elite status thanks to their huge commercial power.
Serie A teams, on the other hand, often have to pick up the leftovers and be content with crumbs.
For example, Los Blancos spent €70 million signing former Inter Milan target Franco Mastantuono in the summer.
Therefore, the Nerazzurri never had a realistic chance of signing the Argentine genius.
Marotta, who seemed dissatisfied with the current situation, slammed Serie A’s overwhelming sponsorship deals.
Inter Milan president Beppe Marotta makes ominous financial admission
“Today, our league is in a transition period. It is different from the 2000s, when we had the highest ranking in all leagues and were competitive,” said Beppe Marotta.
“Nowadays, the most important players appear at the age of 40.
“At the moment you can’t buy players like Real Madrid. Mastantuono was paid between 60 and 70 million euros.”
“Between 2004 and 2006, Italian clubs spent up to 30-35 million euros on a single player.
“Inter, Milan, Juve, Roma, Napoli and Atalanta have had to resort to player trades and capital gains.
“Selling players used to be rare, but now it is an important tool for making ends meet. Without capital gains, clubs cannot offer a proper budget.”
“This is the big difference between Italy and the UK. TV rights fees in the UK are four times higher than in our country, reaching 200 million euros in Japan and 3 billion euros in the other country.
“You can’t be competitive on the economic side.”
New club philosophy
“Soccer is like a business, and governance depends on shareholders,” Marotta continued. “And it’s made up of people who are representative of the entire staff.
“We are renovating the Appiano Gentile training center. Imagine what football will be like in 15 years.”
“What will our needs be in 15 years? Inter’s plans include 20 psychologists, from the first team to the youngest.
“While I love promoting spiritual development, I find it still difficult. Doctors often feel like they have to ‘fix’ you.”
“Compared to the Nordic countries, the approach is not the same. Psychologists also need to guide children, and that requires trust.
“Approaching systems that stimulate mental performance is fundamental for the future.
“A football club has a myriad of roles and is a real company.
“Entertainment is always at the core of our business, but there are many elements that go into making that entertainment happen.
“When we want to develop players, modern tools are used. Algorithms help us make better decisions.
“Algorithms or digital tools? When you sign a striker, you need to know how well he sees goal, along with all the data to support your choice.
“There is still a gap. We don’t fully understand the human side of the players. We don’t fully understand the humanity of the players. We don’t understand the humanity of the players.”
“This also relates to the difference between talent and champions. When someone doesn’t become a champion, it’s often because of the mental aspect.”
