Could Montreal Impact owner and team president Joey Saputo be looking to add a European club to his portfolio?
Reports out of Italy indicate that could be the case, as Saputo is apparently part of a group of five investors looking to purchase Bologna FC, which currently plays in Serie B after being relegated at the end of last season. Although New York-based lawyer Joe Tacopina has been the spokesperson for the group, and is currently in Bologna attempting to wrap up the sale, Saputo is reported to be one of the "big five" of the prospective ownership group, with Tacopina reported by Corriere di Bologna to have said, "the team of investors is already complete."
Thursday reports indicate that Saputo will be in Bologna next Monday together with Tacopina to meet the mayor of the city. No word yet from the Impact on the news.
The Corriere di Bologna on Wednesday claims that a deal worth 18.2 million euros was reached with the current Bologna FC consortium headed by Albano Guaraldi and the closing date is set for October 8.
"We've reached an agreement," Tacopina said. "[Wednesday] morning at 9 am we begin due diligence and we hope that the deal goes through even though we don't have an exact timeline yet. I thank Guaraldi and all his partners … Now I leave to New York but I'm leaving my staff here to take the next steps."
"How much did it cost me? A lot," Tacopina said.
If Saputo does indeed become co-owner of Bologna, he would be the latest MLS owner to also own a foreign team, joining the likes of the Colorado Rapids' Stan Kroenke (Arsenal / England), D.C. United's Erick Thohir (Inter Milan / Italy), New York City FC's ownership group City Football Group (Manchester City, Melbourne City FC, Yokohama F. Marinos), New York Red Bulls ownership group Red Bull GmbH (Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig), and LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo ownership group AEG (Hammarby IF).
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There have been a number of links between the Impact and Bologna FC in recent years. Three players, Marco Di Vaio, Daniele Paponi, and Andrea Pisanu, have moved from Bologna to Montreal to play. Montreal also played Bologna in a friendly at Dall'Ara Stadium during a postseason tour in Italy in Nov. 2012.
Di Vaio, who makes his home in Bologna and played multiple seasons for the club before his move to Montreal, told local Italian press that he knew nothing about it.
"For me it was a big surprise," Di Vaio told the Corriere di Bologna. "I found out reading it online. I'm surprised because I know thing. You're not going to believe me, but I swear that it's so.
