Rizzetta guest of De Laurentiis at Maradona: wanted to buy Napoli, now flying with basketball

Rizzetta, who led a failed $2.2bn bid for Napoli last year, attended a Champions League match as De Laurentiis's guest; the two have rekindled personal contact.

Matt Rizzetta, the American entrepreneur who headed a consortium attempting to buy Napoli for €2.2 billion earlier this year, was hosted by club president Aurelio De Laurentiis in the President Lounge during yesterday's Champions League match against Bodø/Glimt. De Laurentiis rejected the offer at the time, but the two have now reestablished personal contact. Rizzetta, who has since focused on transforming Napoli Basketball, had proposed creating a Real Madrid-style multi-sport organization encompassing football, basketball, volleyball, water polo and other sports under the Napoli brand.