Amanda Staveley mocked over decision to purchase 'small car' Newcastle United

The Magpies part-owner and director revealed last week she, along with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, had considered investing in an Italian top-flight club before dropping the interest.

"We talked to Inter Milan, AC (Milan), but the problem was the structure of the league was a mess,” Staveley told the Telegraph.

“We looked briefly at Bordeaux. But we’re not looking at Inter (any more).”

Now, Dal Pino has hit back at Staveley’s assessment, labelling Newcastle a “small car”.

He told SportMediaSet: “If the lady has preferred to invest in Newcastle over Inter or Milan, we see that she likes small cars and not Formula One cars.

"There are eight foreign properties that have believed in Serie A and that believe there is growth potential.

“When you invest, you look at the potential of the company and market in which you operate.

"I would prefer to have 90 per cent of something that will be worth billions in a few years compared to 100 per cent of something that is worth less in a few years.

"Serie A is made up of many brilliant entrepreneurs with a majority that wants ideas and changes. We see that it is a great opportunity because it has unexpressed potential like no other league."

Newcastle’s new ownership structure has plans to put the club among Europe’s elite, though the short-term is all about Premier League survival.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Newcastle United coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription; sign up here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor