Fascinating comments from former Inter president Massimo Moratti about Erik Thohir and a long-rumored buyback clause that he has.
I wrote back in November that Moratti has inserted a buyback clause in the sale to Thohir.
That article was based on a piece in La Gazzetta dello Sport and I wrote:
During the negotiations, Morratti is said to have insisted on a safeguard clause for the fans, whereby at the end of the 2014/15 season he will have the option to buy back the club at a reduced price if the Indonesians have not made the investments promised to keep the club at the top level.
In an interview this week, Moratti had his first harsh words towards the reign of Thohir after the firing of Moratti’s long time confidant Marco Branca saying that the Indonesian businessman needs to be around the club more often:
“I would advise Erick Thohir to be more present or to have people he trusts 100 percent who can help the team,” Moratti said.
As for whether he had the ability to buy the club back from Thohir, Moratti admitted he did saying:
“There are clauses in every contract for which, if things do not get done, I will have the possibility and the duty of buying the club back.
“In any case, from what I hear from Thohir, I really cannot see this happening.”
The sale agreement is reported to include language that Thorir and his ownership group have to make certain investments to keep Inter at the top level. If that is the case, then the case can be made that Thohir has not, as of yet, made those investments. He has stopped the plans for the new stadium, froze any new contract extensions, and was timid in the last transfer window.
That leaves Thohir the next two transfer windows to make a splash or face the possibility of Moratti buying back his beloved club in less than 18 months. What a soap opera that would be!