Italian-American businessman and diplomat Tilman Fertitta is being urged to purchase Lazio from its current owner, Claudio Lotito.
The Background
The Italian senator has been in charge of the Roman club since 2004, but he is currently facing the most challenging period of his 22-year reign, with the fanbase in an open revolt against him. The 69-year-old is being accused of putting his own interests ahead of Lazio’s, and is blamed for the club’s degrading status and inability to compete with the Serie A elite.
Therefore, the orginazed fan groups have been refusing to attend the team’s home fixtures since January. Ahead of the new campaign, they decided to take their protest to another level by not purchasing season tickets, cancelling their TV subscriptions, boycotting all of Lotito’s businesses, and refusing to vote for members of his political party, ‘Forza Italia’.
Would Claudio Lotito Consider Selling Lazio?
While the unpopular president remains defiant in public, sources estimate the aforementioned measures taken by the fanbase could cost the already-struggling club around €20 million in revenues, piling more pressure on his administration.
Moreover, Lotito’s recent purchase of Reggina has given the supporters some hope, as regulations prevent him from maintaining both clubs when the Calabrians get promoted from Serie D to Serie C (potentially by the end of the 2026/27 campaign).
Tilman Feritta Urged to Buy Lazio
According to Milano Finanza, a group of businessmen and influential persons who support Lazio (but aren’t part of the club’s administration) is working in the shadows to secure a smooth transition from Lotito to a new owner. They have even approached Tilman Fertitta, a businessman renowned for investing in sports.
Why Fertitta Cannot Buy Lazio Imminently
The Texas native has been the owner of the Houston Rockets, one of the most famous teams in the NBA, since 2017. He has also been linked with financially struggling English football club Sheffield Wednesday.
However, Fertitta was appointed by US President Donald Trump as the country’s ambassador to Italy. Hence, he recently stated (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) that the laws prohibit him from buying an Italian club as long as he’s on his diplomatic mission in the peninsula, so he won’t be able to invest in Italian sports for the next two and a half years.
In the next two and a half years, as an ambassador, I won’t be able to conclude any deals with Italy, but I can tell you that after that, I would love to own a football team in the country
It would be a great honor for me. Will it be Napoli? No city or place in particular, I can’t say.
please god
AS Roma 1927-2020 🪦
AC Milan 1899-2017 🪦
Inter Milano 1908-2016 🪦
He has an Italian name, but lets not fool ourselves. This man has no passion for Lazio. Another American interested in buying up a club, the further strangling of the Italian soul in Serie A. One more step towards globalist identity. Barely any squads with Italian players, no more Italian owners.
Not Italian clubs:
Serie A:
Atalanta, ACM, ASR, Bologna, Como, Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter, Parma, Venezia.
Serie B: Cesena, Hellas, Padova, Palermo, Pisa.
Only Genoa and Padova are European owned, Romanian and French. Como is Indonesian and Palermo UAE, the rest are all North American USA/Canadian.
It’s becoming a globalist tool of mostly invest funds and private equity firms, battling each other. Boston vs New York, California vs Texas owners.
According to this report, it’s 2.5 years away at the earliest, but let’s not kid ourselves… Lotito has been positioning himself to sell all summer long.
Injects zero funds into Lazio for the transfer window, but somehow finds funds to purchase Reggina? The protests are growing by the day for him to sell including big names publicly supporting the protests like Veron, Hernanes, Folorunsho (bold move by an active player), Delio Rossi, etc. and he’s essentially gone into hiding… What’s left for him to do?
I’m not a Lotito sympathizer by any means, but he’s dug himself into a mutiny.
Regardless, like you mentioned, this issue stems far beyond Lotito… Systematically and financially, they’re following in the footsteps of Ligue 1.
Perhaps the ‘new’ FIGC will make some changes, but that’s a big hope.
Considering Coppola was u23 and exempt from financial rules whilst buying another club meanwhile is a concrete example and proof of a lot.
Let me pose a question : would the fans put up better if we miraculously qualify for CL this season ? Say also win the coppa and qualify for CL, would the protests end or it only ends when he is gone?what would it take?a title?
I’m sure a major overperformance would help, but that doesn’t make Lazio’s financial struggles go away.
If a massive overperformance occurred, the first 2 to depart will be Taylor and Rovella. They’d be the sacrificial lambs to get Lazio above the debt threshold as I’m sure they’d be instrumental to the overperformance… I doubt the fanbase would be receptive of that. They would also need to replace multiple players on top of Taylor and Rovella due to expiring contracts, those who didn’t and won’t get replaced in this transfer window, they’d need to restructure some contracts due to the overperformances otherwise you’re left with another Gila situation, etc.
If Lotito isn’t planning on selling, I’m sure he’s focusing on the Lazio stock, and sponsorship deals to try and keep Lazio competitive.