New Serie A side Inter Milan Owner ERICK THOHIR "is a sports-loving media mogul with a track record of turning around ventures struggling financially," according to the AFP. Thohir and his two partners -- ROSAN ROESLANI and HANDY SOETEDJO -- join "a growing group of Asian business tycoons who have bought into British and European clubs, but the three are the first Asians to acquire an Italian Serie A club." Thohir: "I am an entrepreneur, but first of all I am a supporter and a sports lover. I cannot wait to put our passion and international experience at the service of this fantastic club and its supporters." Those in Indonesia’s sporting world who know Thohir, however, said that "he is a businessman first, with the savvy to turn Inter around financially" after the club dipped 19% in value to an estimated $401M. Indonesian football commentator Ari Junaedi said, "His speciality is buying up businesses that are having money problems and then using his management and financial acumen to bring them back to the top" (AFP, 10/16).
