Inter Milan will play their first UEFA Champions League final since their Chinese owners purchased the club in 2016.

Italy's Inter are underdogs going into Saturday's match against Manchester City in Istanbul. But ahead of the final Inter's president Steven Zhang told CGTN Europe that Chinese company Suning are proud of the clubs achievements under its ownership.

"We are really proud that as a foreign owner coming to this country, the first to win a league title, the first to participate in such a high level competition and arriving to the final as a Chinese investor. I think this is something that is for sure, historical and nobody probably even expected," Zhang said.

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"Finally we are here and winning five trophies in the past three years... and and eventually arriving to the final of the Champions League. I am very proud to say finally we have done our job and the club is at the high level."

Since Suning bought the club, the financial gap between the Premier League and Serie A has widened, due to increasing worldwide TV revenues in the English division, while Italian rights domestically and abroad have stagnated, making Inter's achievement this season even more impressive.

"As an Italian football team, a top team, our TV revenues are even less than a team at the bottom of the Premier League. As a shareholder we have put in a lot of resources into the club, but with ten to one hundred times of what we have put in, the gap between us and other leagues are still big," Zhang added.

Living within its means

The pandemic hit Inter hard, reducing revenues while the club continued to pay players large salaries. They had to take a loan from U.S. financier Oaktree Capital due for repayment next year.

Reported to be for around $335 million, if it's not repaid, Oaktree could take over but Zhang says Inter are looking into refinancing the loan.

He went on to stress how it is important for the club to live within its means and that might mean difficult decisions for the playing squad in the summer's transfer market after the Champions League final.

"We have to balance our passion and logic so as the owner or the president of the club we have to take the financial security of the club and the stability of the company for the future," Zhang said. 

"Every single transfer market is an opportunity for us to invest into the club, in the players to improve, but at the same time making the right choices in order to take the opportunity to see what kind of resources that the market can give us," he added. 

"Our first objective is to think about winning. At the same time, we cannot ignore the importance of the balance of the club, the sustainability of the club for the future."

New stadium?

Inter and local rivals AC Milan share the San Siro, an iconic 75,000-seater stadium. It's owned by the local municipality so isn't able to generate the match day and corporate income needed to challenge the Europe's elite clubs. Both teams need to make more money to satisfy UEFA's financial fair play rules. 

Zhang wants to share a new modern stadium but that is proving difficult as AC Milan has changed ownership three times during Suning's tenure.

"Our goal hasn't changed to have a new stadium for our club but we prefer to work together with AC Milan. When the two clubs compete at the top level it's better for the city and they push each other to improve each other. (A new shared-stadium) is fundamental for today's football club and this goal has never changed," Zhang said.

Finnish billionaire Thomas Zilliacus has been linked to a takeover of Inter this summer according to European press reports.

But for now Zhang, manager Simone Inzaghi and the playing squad are only focused on pulling off an upset and bringing back the European Cup to Milan for the fourth time in the club's history.

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