At the age of 43, Thohir now seems set to take the reins at Inter, with an investment of around €260 million earmarked for the purchase of 80 per cent of the Giuseppe Meazza side, while he could even take over the club entirely, thus becoming the first Asian owner of an Italian team. Thohir is one of the richest men in Jakarta and is an entrepreneur on the rise. His flourishing media empire consists of several radio stations, three television channels, sports magazines, advertising companies and online publishing. And Thohir has an immense passion for sport - team sports to be more precise - with basketball being one of his personal favourites. On the other hand, he loathes sports such as golf and swimming which thrive on personal pursuits. He currently holds the position of president of the Southeast Asia Basketball Association and is one of the owners of Persib Bandung, a team playing in the top tier of Indonesian basketball. What sort of Thohir will we see on the market? Many may dream of Inter becoming spendthirft, but the new model will most certainly not be of the ilk which has seen PSG and Manchester City become modern money giants of the game. Thohir is no Al Thani, nor Sheikh Mansour. In January, the transfer activity is likely to be along the same lines we have witnessed in recent years, with Inter simply looking to get back on track rather than wanting to blast a hole in the market. The new board will look to invest intelligently, settling debts and getting the books balanced before looking too far ahead in the market. Rather than signing a Cristiano Ronaldo or Cesc Fabregas, Inter will be focusing on closing out deals that have been near-misses in the past, such was the case with Tottenham arrival Paulinho. Thats not to say the club dont have big ambitions on the market, they will just have to wait until a time when they can truly afford it. The most realistic goal for significant transfer investment at this stage appears to be 2016. Thohirs plan, with a mind open to international markets, is to sell the Inter brand all across the world. The Asian market, which is already an important area to Inter, is considered the key aim of the new order, and Thohirs Indonesian roots can only help. Intertwined with the economic plans, Thohir will entrust his own men to build on the successes of Ernesto Paolillo and Marco Fassone in recent years in expanding the brand.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 17:53:57 +0000
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