Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis insists the club is ‘not for sale’ but warns that, in the future, he ‘would prefer to sell to someone from Naples rather than an American.’
Napoli owner De Laurentiis confirms he’s not considering selling the club, at least for now.
De Laurentiis gave an interview on Thursday after Corriere dello Sport reported that he had met with Matt Rizzetta, an Italian-American businessman and majority stakeholder in Napoli Basket.
Rizzetta was in talks to acquire a majority stake in Napoli just a few months ago, as ADL confirmed in May, so reports of a new meeting sparked fresh speculation about the potential sale of the Partenopei.
De Laurentiis, however, clarified his stance in his latest interview on Radio Kiss Kiss (via Sky Sport Italia) on Thursday: “Napoli are not for sale,” he said.
“The Arabs offered me €3.5 billion, but I didn’t want to retire. I still know how to make movies, and football, which I knew nothing about. I learned it despite countless difficulties.
“About a year ago, I received a meeting request from Matt Rizzetta, whom I didn’t know. I replied out of courtesy. He introduced me to a couple of funds he represented that wanted to buy Napoli,” De Laurentiis continued.
“This happened between February and March last year. We put their lawyers in touch with ours. We wanted to assess the proposal, including who was behind it, though we never actually began a due diligence process.
“They wanted to pay part of the €2 billion upon signing and the rest over the following three years. Initially, I was told I would continue running the club, gradually scaling back my role until I eventually became honorary president. I asked for guarantees that the work we had done over 22 years of running the business would continue. I felt a duty to Napoli fans around the world.
“Money matters, but it comes last. Matt Rizzetta told me he had two or three funds behind him, but the €2 billion would have come in over the years, rather than all at once.”
De Laurentiis confirmed he had recently met Rizzetta, who has spent the last few days in Naples.
“I’m happy to host him. He hosted me in America to watch a basketball game,” ADL said.
“When he brings up selling Napoli, I tell him not to get this soap opera going again. I want to build the stadium, and that will require a huge commitment, physically, too. He probably would have been happy with the Maradona. With a new stadium elsewhere, it would be wonderful to turn the Maradona site into a large park full of greenery.
“For now, I haven’t decided to sell, but if I did, I would prefer to sell to someone from Naples rather than an American,” De Laurentiis concluded.
“We all know who we’re dealing with on our own home turf. If someone from Naples wanted to take over from me in two, three, or five years, that would be fine. I have worked for 22 years for wonderful people.”
The Napoli owner said something very similar this past May, when he first revealed offers to buy the club: “The problem isn’t money,” De Laurentiis said back then. “It’s whether a successor can lead with heart as well.”