Thomas DiBenedetto, the head of a United States consortium looking to take control of Roma, has arrived in Italy to strike a deal with creditor bank Unicredit. Unicredit had taken over the defacto running of the club in order to steer the sale process and recoup losses.
Earlier this month the company which controls Roma, Italpetroli, said it had extended a period of exclusive talks with the U.S. consortium until March 30. Discussions have been going on for months with takeover speculation surrounding the indebted club for years.
One of the reasons for coach Claudio Ranieri’s resignation last month was the uncertainty caused by the prospect of new owners and the lack of money he had to spend in the January transfer window.
Roma, now managed by former player Vincenzo Montella, were eliminated by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions league last 16 earlier this month and lie sixth in Serie A having finished runners-up last term.
No Serie A club is currently majority owned by foreign investors, who have instead been drawn to the more lucrative English Premier League where top stadiums are often full and merchandise sales significantly boost profits, unlike in Italy.
