U.S. consortium makes €2billion offer to buy Napoli from De Laurentiis family – The Athletic
An American consortium has made an offer in the region of €2billion to acquire Napoli from the De Laurentiis family.
Speaking to multiple sources familiar on the condition of anonymity, The Athletic understands Underdog Global Partners (UGP) has led negotiations on behalf of a group of investors as part of an ambitious plan to build on Aurelio De Laurentiis’ legacy.
De Laurentiis rescued Napoli, then in the third tier, from bankruptcy in September, 2004. Not only did the movie producer restore the club’s top flight status, he ended a 33-year wait for the league title in 2023. As Napoli prepares for its centenary year, his record of two Scudetti, three Coppe Italia and a Super Coppa makes him the most successful owner in the history of the club.
The Athletic understands Napoli is not for sale but this position has not discouraged UGP and its backers from persisting in negotiations, started six months ago, to takeover the club. UGP is no stranger to investments in Italian sports. UGP is the majority owner of Campobasso, a club in Italy’s third tier. Last May, it bought a controlling stake in Napoli Basketball, the city’s top flight basketball team.
As with RedBird Capital Partners’ plan for AC Milan, the UGP-led consortium has the intention to apply for an NBA Europe franchise ahead of a new league’s targeted launch in 2027. SSC Napoli, the football team, and Napoli Basketball, would then form part of a multi-sport operation.
Multiple sources have confirmed to The Athletic that within the proposal made by the UGP-fronted consortium is a commitment to invest in infrastructure. This includes an offer to privatise and redevelop the Stadio Diego Maradona.
The Athletic understands talks have stalled on a few sticking points, flagged by De Laurentiis. However, UGP hopes to overcome them and revive negotiations. If De Laurentiis were to accept the offer, he would secure one of the biggest profits in sports, having acquired Napoli for less than 2 per cent of the proposal made by the UGP-led consortium.
It would be up there with the gain Mark Cuban made when he sold his 73 per cent stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and the Dumont family for $3.2bn, having originally obtained control of the franchise for $285m at the turn of the century.
When contacted by The Athletic, UGP said in a statement: “We do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
What would this mean for Napoli and Serie A?
De Laurentiis has made films about Napoli’s league titles but his own story is deserving of its own movie. He has been one of the biggest characters in Italian football of the last two decades, doing things nobody thought possible; namely winning titles without Diego Maradona.
In the event UGP persuade De Laurentiis to sell, it would mark the latest entry of an American owner in Serie A. UGP already have local connections and cultural knowledge owing to their investment in Campobasso. Eleven clubs in Serie A are foreign owned, nine of them North American. Forty nine per cent of Cagliari is held by an American consortium.
Serie B champions Venezia recently announced additional U.S. investment from Tim Leiweke. They could be joined in the top flight by play-off finalists Monza. Fininvest, the Berlusconi family holding group sold its stake in the club to Beckett Layne Ventures, this time last year.
In terms of how U.S. ownership is viewed in Italy, it has, generally, been most successful at Inter and Atalanta where existing management teams have been kept in place and empowered.
