Ernesto Pellegrini

Ernesto Pellegrini
Pellegrini in 2015
Chairman of Inter Milan
In office
1984–1995
Preceded byIvanoe Fraizzoli
Succeeded byMassimo Moratti
Personal details
Born(1940-12-14)14 December 1940
Milan, Italy
Died31 May 2025(2025-05-31) (aged 84)
Milan, Italy
OccupationBusinessman
Known for

Ernesto Pellegrini (14 December 1940 – 31 May 2025) was an Italian businessman and the owner of Inter Milan from 1984 to 1995.

Life and career

The son of a farmer, Pellegrini began working as an accountant in the early 1960s for the bicycle manufacturing company Bianchi, earning L50,000 per month.[1] He was later promoted to chief accountant, but requested additional work within the company, eventually becoming the manager of the canteen.[2]

This marked the beginning of his rise in the catering industry, and in 1965 he founded the Organizzazione Mense Pellegrini following the realisation that the Italian economic miracle was driving the expansion of the food industry, as rising disposable income and changing eating habits transformed consumer demand.[2] In 1975, his company changed its status to Pellegrini S.p.A.,[2][3] which gradually expanded to offer a wide range of services in Italy, including meal vouchers, corporate, healthcare, and school catering, sanitation and industrial cleaning, and welfare support.[2][3][4]

In 2019, Pellegrini S.p.A. made €600 million profit and employed circa 6,500 people.[5]

Pellegrini died in Milan on 31 May 2025, at the age of 84, on the day of the Champions League final between Inter and PSG, which the Nerazzurri played wearing black armbands.[6]

Chairman of Inter Milan

In 1979, Pellegrini wrote a letter to the Inter's chairman Ivanoe Fraizzoli, asking to be allowed to contribute financially to the club. As a result, he was admitted as a member of the board.[2][7] Pellegrini purchased Inter from Ivanoe Fraizzoli in 1984, becoming the club's 17th chairman.[2][8]

Under Pelligrini's ownership, Inter purchased players such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann, and Andreas Brehme, winning the record-breaking 1988–89 Serie A together with two UEFA Cups and one Supercoppa Italiana.[8]

In 2020, he was inducted into Inter Milan Hall of Fame.[9] In 2022, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.[10]

Orders

References

  1. ^ Piva, Gianni (8 July 1994). "Dalle mense alle luci di San Siro". La Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Giojelli, Caterina (4 January 2015). "La conquista della ristorazione, l'Inter dei record, il ristorante per nuovi poveri. La bella storia di Ernesto Pellegrini". Tempi (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b "La nostra storia". Gruppo Pellegrini (in Italian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Pellegrini SpA – Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  5. ^ "La Pellegrini in cifre". Gruppo Pellegrini (in Italian). Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Addio Pellegrini, presidente dell'Inter dei record. Club col lutto al braccio: "Impronta indelebile"". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 31 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  7. ^ Beha, Oliviero (20 June 1984). "I conti di Pellegrini". La Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Ernesto Pellegrini: an Interista for 80 years". Inter Official Site. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ^ Inter Hall of Fame 2020 Timeless Edition Awards Ceremony (in Italian). Inter Milan. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Da Zola a Mourinho e Zidane: le nuove leggende della Hall of fame del calcio italiano". Sky Italia (in Italian). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Cavaliere del Lavoro" (in Italian). Presidenza della Repubblica. 1990. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
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