When Erick Thohir took over the presidency of Inter in November, a great deal was asked about who the Indonesian businessman was and whether his arrival at the Nerazzurri would for the good of the club.
Precious little was said about what Inter’s future would hold with the new man at the helm. What is clear is that it will be a sea change from the Moratti reign.
First and foremost, it is important to establish that Thohir is an Inter supporter of many years. He has talked of his enjoyment of the Biscione team that included Jurgen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthaus, and his credentials within sports are well-known – he is part owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers as well as Indonesian football club Persib Bandung and the MLS side DC United.
The 43-year-old arrives in Serie A as a bit of a mystery, but has indicated that any changes he does make at the Stadio San Siro will be gradual. Walter Mazzarri, it seems, remains firmly in Thohir’s plans; he has thanked Massimo Moratti for installing the former Napoli coach. Indeed, though he is a major share-holder in DC United, Ben Olsen has remained coach there throughout his reign.
Throughout his short time in Italy, Thohir seems to be at pains to insist that his plans are set to mirror American sports teams (something he has considerable experience with) in building up the club slowly but solidly and has gone on record as suggesting that the Champions League Final in 2016 is a possible target – that game will be held in Milan, so although it might seem unlikely, it is reasonable.
With January bringing a transfer window, and the first opportunity to showcase the new Inter, it is inconceivable that Thohir will not allow some movement of players in and out of the Nerazzurri. Equally, given his business acumen, it is unlikely he would allow the club to finish the period too much out of pocket.
He has remarked a few times that he believes stability will only come about on a firm financial footing, and that won’t be achieved by splashing the cash on a number of new faces in the style of Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.
In that context it is, perhaps, unsurprising that the strongest immediate rumours regarding the Biscione’s players are those around Fredy Guarin leaving the club as a makeweight to bring another player in. Whether the Colombian leaves the club or not, it seems certain that January’s dealings will be low-key for Inter.
There are further clues to be had in how Thohir has run the other clubs in his empire. All of those demonstrate the stability he has called for and all have experienced some degree of success, which will only serve to further his belief that his approach is correct.
Thohir completed his studying in America, which is why he is so familiar with that country’s methods. To that end, he is keen on the promotion of younger players from Inter’s academy to the first team. Only Patrick Olsen of the current squad came through the academy, and even he joined from Danish side Brondby as an 18-year-old.
In comparison, both Giulio Donati and Luca Caldirola – two opposing full-backs who came through Inter’s academy – moved to the Bundesliga in the summer. Both have since impressed, with Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen respectively. There’s no guarantee that either would have been exactly the player Walter Mazzarri would have wanted in his squad, but it seems unlikely that Thohir’s regime would dispose of two home-grown young talents so quickly.
Far more likely is that he would allow Primavera players out on loan. Inter have supplied a number of players to Bologna’s squad for this campaign, and seldom send their youngsters outside of the Italian football system. However, with Thohir’s connections to MLS, it would be no surprise to see the likes of the Uruguayan Diego Laxalt plying his trade in the American capital in future.
Most probably, while placing his emphasis on the youth system, the new president will continue the work in the summer that saw Saphir Taider (21 years old), Ishak Belfodil (21) and Mauro Icardi (20) join the squad. Bringing in talented younger players to develop at Inter will either provide depth to the squad in future or opportunity to sell them on for a higher fee as they progress toward their peak – a truly American style of player development.
On top of that, having a favoured club to use to develop players is nothing new, and both clubs involved stand to benefit from the arrangement. The youth system’s changes will be less apparent in January; we will have to wait until summer to get a clearer picture of what the Indonesian has planned at Pinetina.
Another aspect of Inter’s heritage that Thohir seems certain to respect is the supporters. Of course, all his dealings with the media will have Interisti in mind, but he has stated his belief that the club belongs to the fans and that he is just one of them. That attitude will bring calmness to Inter fans the world over – even in Thohir’s homeland of Indonesia, where the Biscione are particularly well supported.
In short, Erick Thohir gives the impression he has arrived at Inter with the intention of taking the club forward gradually. January will be the first opportunity to see how much of an initial boost he will give the squad, but it seems likely to be minimal.
