Italy: Shaquille O’Neal reportedly joins ownership group of Napoli

Rome: At the bottom end of a complicated 2024-25 campaign, after narrowly avoiding relegation from LBA UnipolSai, Napoli is undergoing an ownership change.
A group led by Italian-American Matt Rizzetta has completed a 66% purchase of the Italian club, according to Naples news outlet Il Mattino. The report on Friday evening also notes that Shaquille O’Neal is part of the new owners.

The role of the four-time NBA champion remains unclear. However, O’Neal has confirmed his love for Italy. Since the fanbase of the NBA legend stretches from the United States to Europe and returns appreciation, a potential official appearance in a future game would certainly boost interest well beyond the city of Southern Italy to the rest of the country and all around the Old Continent.

Rizzetta, a superfan across several sports extending related business ventures to the team based in Naples, is expected to be in attendance as Dolomiti Energia Trento visits Napoli at Fruit Village Arena in Round 30 of the 2024-25 LBA Regular Season on Saturday evening. Leading into the last game of the campaign, a 9-20 W-L tally sidestepped the threat of relegation, emerging only one year after winning the Frecciarossa Final Eight 2024 in Turin.

The current edition of Napoli was founded in 2016, following a former team in the city that folded in 2009. After securing promotion in 2021, the top-flight division of Italy has remained a constant on the schedule, with the Coppa Italia triumph in 2024 highlighting success.