Why one of football’s leading execs thinks Saudi’s success is “remarkable”
Inside Saudi interviews Inter Milan chief executive Beppe Marotta, in Riyadh for the Italian Supercoppa. The long-time football exec talks the Kingdom’s enthusiasm for football, the growing fanbase and why partnerships are vital to the future of European football
As Inter forward Lautaro Martinez wheeled away after scoring the last-minute winner in the Italian Supercoppa last month, it looked just like any other final in Italian football: ultras rejoicing in the stands behind the goal, and the Argentinian striker ripping off his shirt as he’s mobbed by his teammates.
This Supercoppa – the 35th mid-season clash of Italy’s biggest clubs – however, was the climax of an expanded tournament, held exclusively in Riyadh. It was not the first time the tournament has been held abroad, with Saudi Arabia already hosting twice before. But this expanded tournament, with E8m of prize money and the prestige of knocking off storied rivals Lazio in the semi-final and Napoli in the final, is a testament to the new age of Saudi sport.
One man who is embracing the tournament is Beppe Marotta, Inter’s chief executive. The highly respected football executive, who before joining the historic Nerazzurri took Juventus to a raft of consecutive league title wins and sits in the Italian football hall of fame, tells Inside Saudi from Riyadh that the partnership of Italian football and the Kingdom is a fantastic opportunity.
“As Italian football as a whole, we do see value in building our brands in foreign countries. Saudi Arabia is a great opportunity at a national level to build a brand,” he says. Prior to the game against Lazio, Inter’s players and management spent time with a Saudi-based fan club. “We are seeing a great deal of passion for football in the Arab world. And Saudi Arabia is working on a model for football that will have a great deal of value and appeal and be very attractive.”
That appeal has so far been based around tournaments like the Supercoppa – the Spanish equivalent was won by Real Madrid just a week earlier in the same ground – and high-profile transfers, with a combination of state-backed and private football clubs luring European superstars to the desert. Ronaldo, who Marotta bought to Juventus, now plays for Saudi club Al Nassr, and other high-profile names have joined him in the Kingdom.
“It’s certainly the right strategy,” Marotta says, and as the man known as the undisputed king of Italian football wheeling and dealing, it’s worth listening. “It’s the best thing for the long-term strategy.” He acknowledges that Saudi clubs’ arrival isn’t the first time new powers have emerged in football: Chinese clubs went on a spending spree at the end of the last decade, picking up experienced but perhaps declining players, and American professional clubs have always provided a home to bigger names at the end of their career. What makes Saudi different – and what makes their arrival on the global stage so disruptive – is the players that the Kingdom is attracting.
“The ability of Saudi Arabia to engage footballers who are still in their prime, the best moment of their careers, is the remarkable thing. This is the right way,” he says, to build a long-term football culture in Saudi. Though crowds are in the domestic league remain someway behind their European rivals, the passion of Saudi fans during the last World Cup – when the national team beat eventual winners Argentina in the group stage – is unmistakable. In time, that football culture will build.
Of course, there is a commercial element. Marotta has spoken previously of the difficulty of competing financially with European competitors, particularly in the lucrative Premier League. Last year Inter managed to navigate their way to the Champions’ League final, losing to Manchester City. Italian clubs are also at a disadvantage with many, including Inter and their fierce rivals AC Milan, not owning their own stadia. For Marotta, Saudi partnerships can help close the gap on the playing field, allowing the Italian champions not just to repeat the trick at home but on the continental stage.
“It’s extremely important for Italian football to create a symbiotic relationship” with local businesses, he says. He’s in Riyadh not just to see Inter eventually win the Supercoppa, but to “engage with local entrepreneurs and businesses here in Saudi that can contribute to the stability of Italian football.”
For Inter, and Saudi Arabia, the partnership looks a win-win.
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