Moratti: De Laurentiis May Be the Person Who Truly Understands How World Football Works

According to Il Mattino, Moratti discussed having had the opportunity to take over Napoli and commented on De Laurentiis, Inter Milan and Napoli in an interview.

Massimo Moratti said: “De Laurentiis turned a passion into a business. I was never able to do that, I was too weak: I could not finish a transfer window without signing a big-name player. But perhaps the person who truly understands how the football world works is him.” One of the most successful presidents in Italian football history showed no sadness. At Inter, he won every trophy that could be won, an unprecedented achievement: the Serie A title, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League that the Nerazzurri had waited 45 years for, a trophy previously won under the leadership of his father Angelo. Now, he prefers to talk about the past, present and future of Inter and Napoli, and the different worlds surrounding the two clubs.

Question: President, you once did something unfair to De Laurentiis: you took Mazzarri away from him.

Moratti said: “How could that be? He was already tired of Mazzarri and no longer wanted him. He understood that cycle had reached its end. And I would never hurt him; he did not deserve to be treated that way. He brought in Benitez, which I thought was a great move. Later, when someone told me I could sign Hamsik, I backed away. Not signing him when he was still at Brescia was my mistake: Aurelio is a person worthy of respect.”

Question: Did you also contribute to him becoming Napoli's owner through a decision you made to step aside?

Moratti said: “Yes. When Napoli went bankrupt and it was decided they would restart from Serie C, a fellow Serie A president woke me up almost at dawn and told me this was a great opportunity to invest in the south and revive that historic club. I refused without hesitation: I knew that city and those fans, and they did not deserve a president who could not dedicate all his time and passion to a club like Napoli. I already had Inter and could not be distracted by other things.”

Question: But in a sense, besides Inter, did you also win a Serie A title in the south?

Moratti said: “Yes, at Cagliari. Because my father did not want Juventus to get Gigi Riva, who had almost already been bought by them. So those of us with ties to Sardinia secretly bought the club within a few days. Riva ultimately did not go to Juventus.”

Question: So did you do something unfair to lawyer Agnelli?

Moratti said: “But he was a true gentleman. He certainly understood what had happened, yet he never spoke about it to anyone. Besides, he was not a person who talked much.”

Question: Your father Angelo was the president during the Grande Inter era. What memories do you have of Inter against Napoli back then?

Moratti said: “When I was young, there was one player I was always afraid of: Nordahl. To me, he was like Bluebeard. When I saw that huge figure standing in the middle of the pitch during the derby, I would get goosebumps. When Napoli arrived, I was fascinated by Pesaola and Luis Vinicio. They were very likable and approachable. So whenever there was a chance, in 1966, the final year before we sold Inter, we signed the ‘Lion’ Vinicio from Vicenza. Perhaps that was also to prevent him from joining another team. But I still remember the goal he scored against Foggia as if it were yesterday.”

Question: What are De Laurentiis' achievements?

Moratti said: “I admired Napoli in the Maradona and Careca era, a team capable of creating magic, and they had Diego, who in my view was one of the greatest players in the world. But at the time, it felt like it was simply a period connected to the Argentine. In fact, once the Maradona cycle ended, a long decline began. From the start, De Laurentiis clearly understood that he was building a cycle based not on players, but on a healthy club, so it could last and achieve success. He has firmly controlled Napoli for more than 20 years and has never given the impression that he wants to hand over the reins.”

Question: What do you expect from Allegri against Chivu?

Moratti said: “Allegri has a great deal of experience, he is a mature coach who understands the secrets of this complicated world. The teams he coaches are among the strongest in Serie A in my view, and he knows how to win. What surprises me about Chivu is that he can handle various situations that may not be ordinary in a very normal way. He knows how to control the team and can make everyone like him. Allegri’s experience is extraordinary, and his calm start does not surprise me; that is his normal approach. He can also make everyone follow the rules.”

Question: Chivu was one of the heroes of your treble-winning era.

Moratti said: “Unforgettable. Mourinho also liked him very much because he had strong leadership: he was like a coach on the pitch. After he suffered a skull fracture against Chievo, I was worried about his health. But he responded like a rock: there was a hole in his head, yet he immediately showed enormous courage. Less than a month later, he was back on the pitch. But I remember he privately told me that every time he headed the ball, everything would go black for two or three seconds.”

Question: Napoli did not complete a major signing in this transfer window, while Inter did the opposite.

Moratti said: “Perhaps De Laurentiis is right. Relying on a familiar group and maintaining continuity can also allow you to try to win, without paying the cost of waiting for new signings to adapt. I was never able to do that: in this respect, I was ‘weak’. If I liked a player, I would go and bring him in. But that was not necessarily the right approach.”

Question: If it were today, who would you do everything to sign?

Moratti said: “I have always liked Premier League players, so Inter’s transfer market has done well. But Nico Paz of Como is someone I would not let slip away.”

Question: Did you expect Conte to leave Napoli?

Moratti said: “Knowing his character, I said no. And I would add one thing: having no Conte on the Serie A benches is a major advantage for all the rivals because it makes the title race more balanced. Seeing a league without him has some impact. Because everyone knows: Conte is either first or second.”

Question: Did Gasperini coaching Roma surprise you?

Moratti said: “No. He has always been able to make his teams play well, and this Roma side is also entertaining, always looking for vertical passes. But when he worked with me, the results were not good, and he was also unlucky: he did not win even one match, not even friendlies. What could I do? That is how seasons go, like Allegri’s season at Milan.”

Question: What kind of match do you expect from Inter against Napoli on Saturday?

Moratti said: “This match comes so early, and with the weather so hot, the risk is that the game could be dominated by the fear of making mistakes. Sometimes fatigue makes players avoid great technical actions and focus instead on the basics. In any case, I do not want this to be a match without entertainment. Obviously, it is not decisive and cannot be decisive: but nobody wants to lose such a high-profile game. After all, in the past two years, Inter against Napoli has been the main Serie A rivalry.”

Question: McTominay will not play.

Moratti said: “I am sorry, because I have always liked English players. He comes from a football school that has always impressed me. But Napoli also have De Bruyne: he is elegant and has excellent touch. His level was developed in the Premier League. He is adapting to the rhythm and tactics of Italian football.”

Question: Are you satisfied with the changes to VAR?

Moratti said: “Without a doubt, the less it intervenes, the better everything works. Those emotionally dangerous waits and those agonizing minutes will also be reduced. Of course, until the next mistake happens, hopefully that mistake will not take us back to the past again.”