Curtain down on Moratti’s roller coaster Inter reign

Date: 23rd October 2014 at 6:34pm
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Massimo Moratti - InterAs Massimo Moratti ends his 18-year association with Inter, the club are drawn into a spell of introspection after what was a roller coaster spell with the Italian petroleum tycoon at the head.

Since his takeover from predecessor Ernesto Pellegrini in 1995, Moratti guided the Nerazzurri through times of struggles and happier times of sheer footballing supremacy. His reign as official club president, which ended with the takeover by Erick Thohir in November 2013, was defined by a driving ambition to make Inter the undisputed superpower in Italian and European football. He can leave with a sense of pride, knowing that he undoubtedly achieved that much.

His gargantuan spending in the transfer window over the years brought some of the game’s most exciting superstars to the San Siro and helped propel them to a period of sustained dominance in Serie A, particularly under Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho, when they claimed five consecutive Scudetti from 2006-2010 and became champions of Europe in 2010.

That is not to say his reign was devoid of controversy, criticism or disquiet, however, as he became known as one of Italian football’s most ruthless figures. He sacked managers frequently, including a two-year spell following the departure of Jose Mourinho when Rafael Benitez, Leonardo, Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri suffered the wrath of Moratti’s axe. It undoubtedly plunged the club into a period of darkness, to which they remain, and perhaps his departure marks a bright new beginning for one of European football’s giants.

He was committed to assembling a team of the highest quality. Not entirely dissimilar to the blanket spending of Florentino Perez at Real Madrid, Moratti regularly created headline signings that brought glamour and glitter to the club. He sanctioned record-breaking transfers such as the then world-record €48 million purchase of Christian Vieri and landed a killer deal in bringing Ronaldo from Barcelona to Italy in 1997, when he was widely considered the best player on the planet.

Jose Mourinho Massimo Moratti InterThe big-money signings continued to flood through the gates of the Giuseppe Meazza with the likes of Luis Figo, Hernan Crespo, Roberto Baggio, Patrick Viera and Wesley Sneijder all moving to Inter under Moratti’s reign. This strategy of consistently targeting the top players from around the world thrusted Inter to unprecedented levels of success in their club’s history. With Mourinho, Moratti found the perfect coach to exercise his vision and was vindicated when they won their first European Cup since 1965 with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich.

For Moratti, it was the realisation of a dream. For him, guiding Inter through spells of underachievement whereby they watched AC Milan and Juventus dominate Italian football in the 1990’s was the ultimate success. However, the ecstasy quickly turned to fear as Moratti and the club were swiftly brought back to reality when Mourinho left for Real Madrid immediately following their Champions League success. The onus was now on Moratti to find the perfect replacement to ensure Inter stayed at the top at home and in Europe.

It was in the post-Mourinho years that the club fell into despair following a string of short-term appointments. Benitez lasted barely half a season, despite claiming the Supercoppa Italiana and FIFA Club World Cup. He was followed out the door sooner than expected by his successor Leonardo. Following them were Gasperini, Ranieri and Andrea Stramaccioni, who also did little to convince Moratti that they held the abilities necessary in stabilising the club.

Erick Thohir Massimo Moratti InterIn the most recent seasons, Inter’s heavy spending has dried up and Moratti began to wind down his duties at the club until he eventually agreed to sell his 70% majority shareholding capacity to Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir in November 2013. Following that, the club have yet to demonstrate that they are set for an upward trajectory. Current head coach Walter Mazzarri is under intense pressure to deliver following another slow start to the campaign that leaves the club languishing in ninth place.

The ambition of Moratti was always to oversee Inter playing at the highest level and certainly achieved that; but he leaves the club in times of uncertainty. The long-term future of Mazzarri is far from secure and the long-standing influence of Moratti will surely be felt in the boardroom.

Moratti’s time with Inter will always be held high in the annals of the club history for the trophies and the superstars that littered the middle part of his reign but, as he officially ends his association with the club, there remains the sense that Inter’s roller coaster of a ride is far from over.

Follow Matt Gault on Twitter @MattGault11 

 

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