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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Chinese Invest in Italian Soccer Club
Internazionale Milan, one of Italy's most famous teams, has played in the country's top league, Serie A, since its founding in 1908.
Massimo Moratti, the team president and main shareholder1, recently announced an $87-million deal with a group of Chinese investors2 for 15 percent of the team's shares.
Sports commentator3 Gian Luca Rossi says Moratti's primary business in oil drilling and refining was hit hard by the political upheaval4 in Libya. Those losses, as well as the deepening of the economic crisis in Europe made it more difficult for him to fund the prestigious5 but less profitable soccer team.
"The dramatic thing here is that fans think that a poor country can still have a rich soccer," noted6 Rossi.
Rossi adds that Moratti had been looking for investment from Asia for at least two years.
"From what I gathered talking to Moratti recently, the idea of not having to be alone in writing checks for 20, 30, 50 million is something that gives him his breath back, and makes him look at the future with great optimism," said Rossi.
As part of the deal, a new stadium in Milan will replace the San Siro venue7, which is shared with Inter's rival team AC Milan. The stadium will be built by the state-owned China Railway Construction Corporation as its first project in Europe.
"The stadium now, costs the two teams something like 16 million [euros - about $20 million] each year, so for each club it's a rent of eight million euro [$10 million]," Rossi noted. "Obviously, this is money that should be spent elsewhere, for a club that is supposed to be making important buys to stay competitive.
As fans gathered in Milan for the first match of the Italian championship, most were happy about Moratti's choice of partners.
"It is definitely a well-chosen deal," said Giacomo della Vecchia, president of a nearby city's Interclub. "Because nowadays there can be no tycoon8, like in the past, that completely sponsors a team and uniquely shoulders all the expenses. It is a modern thing and I think it should be done."
Internazionale Milano was founded in 1908 after a schism9 within AC Milan about allowing foreigners to play. Gian Luca Rossi says the new deal is in character for the team.
"They said: 'No! Why can't a soccer team have foreign players? We will create one ourselves.' From that they chose the name International. So the idea of being opened up to the outside has always been there," Rossi said.
The new stadium is expected by 2017.
1 shareholder | |
n.股东,股票持有人 | |
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2 investors | |
n.投资者,出资者( investor的名词复数 ) | |
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3 commentator | |
n.注释者,解说者;实况广播评论员 | |
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4 upheaval | |
n.胀起,(地壳)的隆起;剧变,动乱 | |
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5 prestigious | |
adj.有威望的,有声望的,受尊敬的 | |
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6 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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7 venue | |
n.犯罪地点,审判地,管辖地,发生地点,集合地点 | |
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8 tycoon | |
n.有钱有势的企业家,大亨 | |
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9 schism | |
n.分派,派系,分裂 | |
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