Inter hero Luis Suarez naively takes aim at Thohir

In case you hadn't noticed, Inter has come under a fair bit of criticism this season. Whether it was a negative playing style while the team was winning, poor players that didn't deserve to play for Inter when the team was losing, or a manager that didn't know what he was doing when the team's results were mixed, the Nerazzurri have been targeted a lot during interviews in the current campaign. The trend has continued, though who it was and how it was phrased was very confusing.

Former Inter player during La Grande Inter Luis Suarez (who also played for Barcelona but didn't bite people) spoke to the press about Thohir and his time as owner of the club. When asked about how Thohir's reign has been, the 80 year old claimed that Thohir has only brought havoc since his arrival and that he doesn't know what he is doing. He capped it off by claiming that his presidency and the impending investment from China is causing the club to lose their "Italian identity" and that the club needs to be run by people with charisma.

There's just so much wrong here that I don't even know where to begin. First of all, what Italian identity? In case he forgot, this club is called Internazionale. It was formed because players broke away from AC Milan over their unwillingness to allow more foreigners on the team; hence the nickname of Inter being "brothers of the world". So no, having an Italian identity was never the goal of this team and one would think that playing for Inter and winning with foreign players by his side would help him realize that fact.

Second, while I am more than willing to admit that Thohir hasn't been the perfect president, painting him to be this horribly inept businessman is patently false. Since Thohir's arrival the yearly losses have been reduced, the front office has been streamlined to become more efficient (bye bye Branca), and the loan+option/obligation to buy formula has proven to be a very smart way to bring in good players while spreading out payments to minimize the impact on the budget. There have been disappointments regarding the stadium though once AC Milan figures out what they will want to do Thohir will be able to move forward with plans whether they are to renovate/buy out the San Siro or build a new home for the team. Thohir hasn't brought havoc he has brought stability, a trait that Inter has sorely needed.

Finally, the very though that the requirement for running a club should be a person having charisma is laughable. I'm sorry but charisma or passion for a team is not enough anymore. Massimo Moratti was a president who personified charisma and passion and while he did bring success it came at a price. His cash could only carry the club so far and after the Treble the team stagnated and fell into a hole that the team is still trying to recover from. The game has modernized and become more international, clubs need owners that have international ties to bring in new sources of investment and revenue in order to compete with the big boys in Europe. Thohir's arrival and the impending investment from China will help the club gain deeper access into foreign markets while also providing the cash to put the team over the edge to return to the Champions League. That is what a president is supposed to do. He or she is supposed to build the club's brand and make them both successful and profitable, not promote some "Italian identity" that is contrary to the very foundation of this club.

Luis Suarez, if you're going to try to attack Thohir, at least do it right.