Intesa Sanpaolo Chief Executive Carlo Messina said on Thursday Unicredit can create value through a merger with Commerzbank, as the Italian rival bank already runs a large banking business in Germany.

A senior German banker said there a several reasons why a takeover of Commerzbank AG by UniCredit SpA could be beneficial, demonstrating that the strong opposition to the potential deal by the country’s government isn’t a national consensus.

Italy’s UniCredit won’t seek a seat on Commerzbank’s supervisory board despite a recent move to become the German bank’s biggest shareholder, UniCredit’s chief executive said Wednesday.