Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta reveals his pride in helping the club launch a new winning cycle.
The 66-year-old spoke during the club’s annual shareholders meeting on Thursday. He touched on several subjects while mainly focusing on the club’s achievements on the pitch.
“Good morning and welcome from my side too to the shareholders’ meeting which, as ever, summarises the previous football season and provides an overview of the ongoing campaign,” said Marotta in his speech as published by the club’s official website.
“The 2022/23 season will live long in the memory of all of us thanks to our incredible European run which culminated in the Champions League final in Istanbul, the sixth final appearance in the club’s history and a milestone 13 years in the making.
“The inevitable disappointment over the result in the final did not however dent the pride and enthusiasm of our incredible supporters, who spurred us on all season towards the most prestigious stage in world football and who still to this day chant the song that accompanied us throughout the journey right up until the evening of 10 June.”
The former Sampdoria and Juventus general manager dwelled on Inter’s achievements in the recent campaign, especially in the Champions League.
“That means we will never forget the great European nights we experienced together, the feats we achieved in some of the sport’s most iconic grounds, the passion and excitement of our great Inter family, which comes together in Milan, in Italy and throughout the world.
“The trip to the Camp Nou, when we had Barcelona on the ropes and booked our place in the last 16, the pulsating drama of the final minutes at the Estadio do Dragao, at the end of two hard-fought matches against Porto and the memorable win at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz.
“Then those two magical nights at San Siro, at the end of a seemingly endless week that allowed us to exact revenge, something Nerazzurri fans had been waiting 20 years for.
“Last season, we sealed Champions League qualification for the sixth year running, a competition in which we have proven that we can not only regularly participate but also play a leading role.
“Finally, we claimed more silverware: the Italian Super Cup in Riyadh, further evidence of our dominance over Milan, and the 9th Coppa Italia in the club’s history at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.”
Marotta also emphasized the importance of the club’s youth sector while confirming the club’s ambitions to enhance the Women’s team.
“Inter’s Youth Sector once again proved to be a huge source of pride for the club, a state-of-the-art breeding ground where we can mold our youngsters into fine young men first and foremost and latterly footballers and it remains a strategic asset from a financial and footballing perspective.
“Last season also saw excellent results, with standout performances from the Under-17s and Under-18s en route to the championship final and the Scudetto the club won in the Under-15 age group.
“I would like to take the opportunity to once again thank Roberto Samaden, who after many years of outstanding work has embarked upon on a new chapter in his career and I also wish the best of luck to Massimo Tarantino, who joined the Nerazzurri family on 1 July in his role as Youth Sector Director.
“Inter Women also continued on the path we have mapped out and they are playing a starring role.
“In the 2022/23 season the first team, in their first season as professionals, finished fifth in Serie A and reached the semi-final of the Coppa Italia. The campaign also featured a series of significant personal accolades which we welcomed at the club and which bode very well for the future: Francesca Durante was named Serie A’s best goalkeeper, while Tabitha Chawinga received the award for best forward.”