Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis confirms an offer to acquire the Partenopei, but claims: ‘The problem isn’t money; it’s whether a successor can lead with heart as well.’
Napoli President De Laurentiis confirms he has received an offer from an American consortium interested in buying the Serie A club.
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The Athletic and Corriere dello Sport reported last week that De Laurentiis had received a €2 billion offer from a group led by Matt Rizzetta. The proposal was rejected, but according to The Athletic, the American consortium still hopes to strike a deal in the coming months.
“The Americans also made a $900m offer in 2017,” De Laurentiis said at a press conference on Sunday via TuttoNapoli.
“I thanked them and said that the pathway was still long. Then COVID hit, and in 2021, Arabs also offered $3.5 billion to buy Filmauro and Napoli. I replied: ‘What will I do? retire?’ What I want to say is that it’s normal to see the interest, but the problem isn’t money; it’s whether a successor can lead with heart as well. When you do movies, you can only do them with the heart, and the same goes for football.”
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ADL joined Antonio Conte at a post-match press conference following the Partenopei’s 1-0 victory against Udinese on the final matchday. During the press conference, Conte confirmed he’s leaving the club after two seasons.
“You know, cycles sometimes end early,” De Laurentiis said.
NAPLES, ITALY – MAY 26: Aurelio De Laurentiis, President of SSC Napoli, celebrates the victory of Serie A TIM during the SSC Napoli Trophy Parade on May 26, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
“This is your [Conte’s] home, but maybe you are not serene anymore, not towards Napoli or the city, but towards a league that Napoli forces you to face in a certain way.
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“Napoli can’t be PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or the five English clubs. We must respect the budget, and we can’t go beyond it. The Italian league is not so extraordinary because the quality of play has declined dramatically.”
De Laurentiis and Conte said they had agreed to part ways in April. Pressed on Conte’s successor, the Napoli president stayed tight-lipped: “We have a strong team and many players coming back. Perhaps, they had shortcomings for Conte’s style of play, but they might fit in well under a new coach,” De Laurentiis concluded.
