Chaos Suning, what did De Boer do to deserve Inter?
It’s funny to notice that owners never decide at Inter: Mancini was picked by Moratti when he had just the 30% stake in the club. Today’s decision has been taken by Thohir who owns a similar figure after the arrival of Mr. Zhang’s Suning.
The impact of Suning has floored us all. Sacking a manager two weeks before the beginning of the season sounds more ‘Zamparinian’ than Chinese. However, what’s even more surprising than Mancini’s sacking is the appointment of his successor: Franck De Boer.
Why him? What did he do to deserve Inter?
He doesn’t know Italian football, nor has he never coached a team which is not Ajax. He had been in charge of the Lancers for six seasons winning the Dutch league in the first five seasons, but losing it in the last two campaigns.
The last memory we have is the league victory wasted in the final day of last season, when Ajax drew against Graafschap and were leapfrogged by PSV Eindhoven. A Dutch version of Inter’ 5th May 2002, when the nerazzurri lost the league in the final day at hands of Juventus.
De Boer handed his resignation after that day and Suning has decided to hire him now. De Boer will make his Serie A debut in two weeks time having no clue about what Inter is, having no experience in Serie A and having no knowledge of the Italian language.
We would understand the choice of an important manager at an international level: from Capello, to Prandelli and Leonardo, there are many gaffers available on the market. Why picking De Boer?
We know Suning are very sensitive when it comes to consider managers suggested by agents who have brought some of their best clients to China: Kia Joorabchian and Pini Zahavi, for example.
They might be the ones who have ‘suggested’ De Boer to Inter and Thohir, who, meantime, has become a football pundit all in a sudden. What’s for sure is that Suning’s decision is more than surprising, but that’s no news for Inter, a club that can’t be normal.
Stefano Agresti @steagresti, translated by Lorenzo Bettoni @lorebetto
