Inter Announce 27-Year-Old Suning Heir Steven Zhang as New Club President
Inter have announced that Steven Zhang, the heir of the Suning empire which owns the club, has been appointed as the new chairman at the San Siro.
The appointment was announced in a video which shows Zhang taking in the sights of Milan as he describes his vision for the club.
"When I close my eyes, I see a city with so much history and more to be written," he says in the video, which was shared on Twitter.
"People with ideas, with the will to improve what’s around them and themselves.
"A club that played beyond the field to win the hearts of everyone. But then I open my eyes and see that all this is already here. I’m ready, are you?"
Suning, a Chinese retailer, acquired a majority stake in Inter from Erick Thohir's consortium International Sports Capital in 2016. Thohir remained chairman with a 31% minority stake, but he is now preparing to sell his remaining shares.
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Suning owner Zhang Jindong has decided to appoint his son and successor as the new chairman. At the age of 27, Steven Zhang is Inter's youngest ever chairman.
This appointment is the first big change taking place at Inter but not the last, if rumours are to be believed. Former Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta is expected to take a senior role at the San Siro from January onwards.
Zhang has been settling into his new role this week, travelling to Spain to watch Inter's Champions League match against Barcelona and meeting with the Catalan club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu ahead of the game.
