Messages to the staff and a post for the fans. But time for refinancing is now running out: May 20th is the deadline for repaying over 350 million (275 plus interest) loaned by the American Oaktree fund
Just before 4.30am, Nanjing time, night player Steven Zhang sprung into action, as he once did at San Siro. While in Milan Gatti took the wrong door, in China the Inter president was celebrating yet another slap in the face of the Lady. Between ups and downs, between initial moments of grandeur and subsequent economic difficulties, the Nerazzurri number 1 has always lived the presidency of the club in the sign of the eternal rivalry with Juventus: after taking the run-up, he threw down for the first time from the throne the cannibal Lady of shields. This time his Nerazzurri nipped the Bianconeri’s attempt to rise in the bud: the role of leading team in Italy, snatched from the Suning version of Inter in recent years, was not questioned on Sunday at the Meazza. Indeed, never like this time, Zhang has felt so close to the second championship of his life, after the first won with Antonio Conte on the bench in the 2020-21 season: for this reason he celebrated via social media with a rather iconic Instagram story, black background and stars plus the Italian writing “amala” which the fans like so much.
He also commented on a post by Hakan Calhanoglu, dominator at San Siro, using the same prudent words chosen by the Turk: “We are not finished yet…”. The title lost two seasons ago against Milan evidently still crowds the presidential thoughts: no new drop in tension is allowed. Zhang himself repeated it in the course of phone calls and messages made before being able to sleep: he spoke about it with the highest managers, with the coach and even with some players. Every compliment for the championship push was accompanied by a warning for the rest of the season: the work must be completed in May. The second star as an Italian corporate mission, while the bulk of his Chinese days are occupied in trying to refinance the expiring loan.
the two games
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Watching your favorite team in the middle of the night is certainly nothing new: the Suning scion has been making do like this since he left Italy to return home at the beginning of the summer, the last match seen live remains the friendly Inter-PSG played in Tokyo on 1 August 2023. Despite a certain nostalgia and the invitations received, Zhang has not yet put a return to Italy on the agenda. Even in China he has been seen very little, if it were not for some public outings, such as the one for a Moncler event, which is also a partner of his Inter. Steven will be in Italy only after he has definitively resolved the corporate issue, more stringent than the championship itself: in fact, May 20th is the deadline for the repayment of over 350 million (275 plus interest) loaned by the American fund Oaktree. But it will soon be clear whether the refinancing of the loan, the operation on which Steven is moving forward with determination, will be successful.
time is running out
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There is no doubt that that is the preferred option, at least in theory, given that the club’s minimum valuation of one billion and two hundred million has so far held back potential buyers. But it is equally true that the margins for going to checkers are not that great: time is running out to legally set up the refinancing, it is difficult to go beyond the end of this month or so. Meanwhile, the president’s antennas are pointed towards the United States, the homeland of both Oaktree and the other funds that have shown interest, always in contact with the two chosen advisors, Goldman Sachs and Raine Group. In short, he, Steven, wants to pin the second star on his Nerazzurri chest and no one else. Indeed, in planning with his collaborators in Milan the president continues to think about a medium, and not short, period. After all, being in the club’s history must be pleasant: with the Super Cup he just won, the sixth trophy of his management, he came within just one title of Angelo Moratti, father of Massimo and the Grande Inter, second in the ranking of the most Nerazzurri presidents. winners. With the scudetto in May it would be a hook, then, with new liquidity, why not think about expanding the board even further?
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