January 3 – Serie A’s Roma looks set to change hands between American owners with James Pallotta (pictured) reportedly having agreed a €780 million deal with the Texas-based Friedkin Group run by billionaire Dan Freidkin.
A club statement confirmed negotiations and that due diligence was taking place.
“Roma informs that no definitive agreements concerning a transfer … have been formalised to date and that any potential transaction with The Friedkin Group remains subject to a successful completion of a legal due diligence upon the AS Roma Group,” said the statement.
Pallotta’s tenure at Roma has seen mixed success since he took majority control in 2012. The club have not won a Serie A title since 2001 and last won the Italian Cup in 2008.
Roma did reach a Champions League semi-final in 2018. The club is currently in fourth place in Serie A behind city rivals Lazio. They return this weekend from the winter break with a fixture against Torino.
Pallotta staked much of his ownership reputation on the building of a new stadium in Rome, but those ambitions have become frustrated by a slow moving city planning department.
Freidkin will bring a fresh approach and potentially a lot of money to the problem. The Friedkin Group is the owner of Gulf States Toyota, an independent vehicle distributor in the US. Friedkin’s son Ryan could move to the Italian capital to manage the club, according to Italian reports. Pallotta may keep a minority stake in the club.
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