This is LA: Inter Club Los Angeles



1. How and when did you become a fan of Inter?

 It happened during the summer of 1997, when Inter bought Il Fenomeno Ronaldo Da Lima. That triggered my life-long love for Inter. I had been following Serie A for a few years already, and enjoyed watching Batistuta very much at Fiorentina but never did pick a team to follow. But that move for Ronaldo was it for me. I recall I had just started working and one of my very first purchases was an Inter jersey. I’ll never forget starting in to that black and blue jersey! Love at first sight.
Club president Ricardo Galiano with El Capitan Javier Zanetti


 2. How did Inter Club LA come about?  

 A couple of guys had been meeting for many years during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Three of them every weekend would meet and cheer on the black and blue. Then the idea came about where they decided to become officially organized.

 Inter Club became an official club during the U.S. tour of 2009. It was a great coincidence that that same year the nerazzurri went on to win everything. It was a magical season for Inter and even greater experience for us. I became a member that same year as well. Much like my fellow Interisti, I was watching Inter games in solitude since 1997, with very bad stream links on the web I might add. I personally became the club’s president last year when our former president moved to New York. He’s still a member by the way.
3. What activities do you hold (trips to games, to Milan, etc)?

 Since our “headquarters” is "Polentoni Restaurant" in Los Angeles, we meet there for game days and sometimes for lunch/dinner just to catch up with the other members. 

 This past July, a few us got together and made the 6 hour drive to Berkeley, California to meet up with Inter. We were lucky enough to be personally invited by Centro Coordinamento Inter Club to meet up with some of the players. To our surprised, the one and only, Javier Zanetti showed up! Probably the best day in my Inter life, right next to winning the Champions League.

 This year, we are planning a trip to San Siro to go catch a game. Probably in late November, we hope.





4. Why should an Inter supporter in LA join your club?

 Easy. In L.A. you are either a Real Madrid fan, or a Barcelona fan. However, most of these “fans” do not know what it is to go through hard times with a team. I would go as far as saying most of these fans couldn’t name how many league championships each team has. I challenge most of these fans to come watch a game with us and see what “real hard core” fans are. We follow Inter because we all bleed black and blue, not because the best looking player in the world plays for us. Big difference.


 5. What are Inter Club LA's mid- and long-term strategies?

 Our plan is to continue to grow. We are about 35 strong now. With the new ownership of Inter and his ties to the U.S. via the DC United from the MLS, we anticipate that Inter will be touring the U.S. more often and we need to be there to support them.
Club Profile
Membership Fee: $35 for adults $25 for junior
Website: www.InterClubLA.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inter-Club-Los-AngelesI-Polentoni/108728712766
Twitter: @InterClubLosAngeles


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