On October 28, Beijing time, Inter Milan held this year's shareholders' meeting, and Zhang Kangyang, chairman of the club, also delivered a speech at the shareholders' meeting. He said Inter's new stadium project is now very important and the top has a long-term plan for the club. The full text of the speech is as follows:
Members of the Blue and Black family, good morning!
Today, it is with great pride and joy that we convene this shareholders' meeting as the italian champion. Last season, we worked together to achieve many historic achievements. After 11 years, he once again won the long-awaited club's 19th Serie A title trophy for the Nérazuris. For all Nerazuri, this feeling is incredible and indescribable. In such a difficult time, this victory has conveyed hope and joy to everyone, and because of this, this feeling has become more intense and unforgettable, and this is the charm of sports.
Winning last season proved that you can overcome any challenge with determination and dedication. I would like to thank all the members of the club: all the echelon and first-team men's and women's footballers, all the coaching staff, the club staff and the management team. I would also like to thank all Inter's shareholders and partners for their support. This is the result of determined efforts from top to bottom, inside and out.
We set this goal when we first came to Inter milan in 2016 and with determination and a conviction to return to victory, we reinvented the club and led her back to where she should have been.
As the first foreign-controlled club to win the league title, we are proud to bring endless joy and passion to our fans, a victory that also crowns the success of the club's vision, commitment and the dedication and painstaking efforts of the club owners over the past five years, which is what we have made impossible possible.
At the same time, under the leadership of our CEO Alessandro Antonello, Inter Milan has also achieved success off the pitch.
A lot has changed at the club in five years. Inter milan have become more cosmopolitan, more dynamic and more connected to fans all over the world. The club has set up its new headquarters in Milan's innovation district, which is our new business card for the world. At the same time, Inter's sports facilities have been expanded and refurbished, providing competitive teams with one of the best training centres in the world.
As all these transformations extend, the club's new identity is unveiled to the world, symbolizing our extension from football to culture and reinforcing our identity and values: internationalisation and the DNA of the city of Milan. This change has seen Inter develop beyond the pitch: we have shown the world full openness in terms of design, fashion and entertainment. This is a testament to the new appeal of the Inter brand globally, and today Inter milan is expanding and looking to the future in a language geared to a new generation, creating new business connections.
Despite all the successes of last season, the entire football world continues to be hit hard by the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. According to UEFA's estimates, the entire European football industry has lost nearly 8 billion euros in revenue due to the epidemic, but the cost has not been reduced, forcing all major clubs to look at the existing financial model. During this period, it coincided with a critical period of the club's heavy investment to regain its success, so the epidemic has further adversely affected Inter Milan.
Financially, the club suffered losses, in large part because throughout the season we had to play in closed stadiums and had to continue to operate in a very difficult economic and social environment. The pandemic has also tested our relationship with all parties involved. Although we were unable to meet in the exciting atmosphere of the Meazza Stadium, we did our best to maintain our relationship with our partners and all the fans.
As president and owner of the club, I need to think about the long-term interests of the club, both in the past and in the future. We have to be brave and flexible to adapt quickly to outside changes, to adapt flexibly and to focus on our own goals, just as we did last season, despite all the difficulties, we achieved historic victories.
The financial stability and sustainable operation of the club must be closely integrated with the maintenance of a high level of competitive strength, which is our strategic focus. We are Italian champions and we are proud to fight in every stadium, it is our duty, it is our DNA and it is a reward to fans in Italy and all over the world.
Every business must be able to adapt to changes, make long-term plans after a specific analysis of the economic environment, and seize opportunities to reshape and develop.
Our move this summer follows that direction. We have a new coach, Simeone Inzaghi, who is eager to win and is in full line with our values. Our team has the ability to maintain and surpass current levels in the future. Under the leadership of CEO Giuseppe Marotta, the sports department has done a very good job.
At the corporate and commercial level, we have locked in some important collaborations at the beginning of the season, which is enough to prove that Inter Milan's international appeal as a global brand and innovation platform is growing. Even in an economic environment severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, our chest value has reached an all-time high.
We are practicing a more modern, sustainable business model and the only viable model that is in line with our long-term development strategy, and we believe that this season will see initial results.
At the same time, the club will focus on "cost control" and "consolidate and add new revenue sources" to "stabilize the club's financial situation" and other measures.
Of course, continuous investment in infrastructure, both on and off the pitch, is crucial to the development of the club.
In this context, the new stadium project has become even more important, it is a key asset to provide the club with a stable income, can help the club to improve its brand positioning, but also provide fans with the best viewing experience in their home stadium. We are confident that the implementation of this project will receive the full support of the municipal authorities and the cooperation of all parties to achieve this project.
The complexity of the pandemic has forced the entire football industry to eventually face change. To protect the future of the sport, we need to change, open our minds to innovation, and maintain a new global perspective. Inter Milan will be committed to working with Italian and international football institutions to come up with ideas and implement the necessary reforms to ensure the sustainable development of football.
As one of the most important clubs in Europe, we know we've always been in the spotlight and have been following us by gossip and speculation over the past year. But the most important thing for us is to continue to focus on our inner goals and move forward.
Our plans and commitments are long-term, with a clear and unambiguous vision. The work we've done over the past five years and the 19th Serie A trophy are proof of that. Our solid foundation drives us to look ahead in the longer term. We are looking to the future with ambition and rebuilding our belief in victory. It is our greatest pride to be able to bring joy to the fans again and we are fully confident that the path we are taking is the right one and that the future of the club is worth looking forward to.
Come on Inter!
Come on, Inter Milan!