Speaking to Sky Sport, Marotta addressed the club's pattern of signing English-based players, describing it as a deliberate strategy rather than coincidence.
"It's the result of a careful evaluation carried out by the whole technical department, by us, by Ausilio, by Baccin, by Chivu. Beyond the English identity, what matters are the honours — 27 or 28 career wins between these players, and that always adds value in a dressing room," he said.
On the draw itself, which pairs Inter with Real Madrid, Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and five other opponents, Marotta struck an upbeat tone about facing José Mourinho's side again.
"The fascination and the emotion are always there — for me it's the 13th or 14th consecutive year, the ninth for Inter. In Italy we're the team that has played in the Champions League most often over this period, and that's a great source of pride. There's the meeting with Mourinho, we're going back to the Bernabéu, there are a lot of exciting things," he said.
Asked about the wider tension between UEFA and FIFA that has coloured the build-up to the season, Marotta was careful not to be drawn into taking sides publicly.
"The FIGC's position is the result of a consensus among its members: there's a line that was set by the federation president with everyone's agreement. I don't want to get into the substance of Simonelli's comments on how it's being handled, because Ezio rightly represents twenty clubs and has his own responsibilities too.
"What I hope is that football, which is a phenomenon of great unity, as the World Cup in the United States showed, is used as a tool for bringing people together and not dividing them," he said, adding that Inter Milan's own ambitions for the season remain high.
"In sport you have to be ambitious — ambition isn't arrogance. We are Inter, and I think we have an obligation to give our best, to have strong motivation and to respect the club's history. We also have a right, which is to dream, and sometimes the dream becomes reality, but it depends on the people involved. I hope we'll have a good Champions League group, even though this new format brings a lot of unpredictability and it will be difficult to know who goes through."
On Çalhanoğlu, speaking separately to Turkish outlet TRT Spor, Marotta moved to calm any suggestion the midfielder's Inter career was nearing its end.
"Hakan has been a very valuable player for us up to now, and he continues to be," he said. "I hope he can continue wearing the Inter shirt for many years."
The Turkey international's contract runs to 2027, with a renewal understood to hinge largely on him staying fit through the season after injuries disrupted his availability in each of the past two campaigns.