Matt Rizzetta reiterated that Napoli remains his priority, but made it clear that he will not wait indefinitely. In the recent speech to the Americans of Sportico, the Italian American, owner of Napoli Basketball and founder of Underdog Global Partners, confirmed that negotiations with Aurelio DeLaurentiis are still ongoing, but indicated a deadline: "I don't think we will go much beyond the beginning of next year before making a final decision." In other words, the first months of 2027 will be decisive in understanding whether the acquisition project can proceed or whether it will be necessary to look for an alternative.
Rizzetta underlined that the dialogue with the Neapolitan owners is still open and that the club remains the most important asset for him. "We have built an excellent relationship in recent years. Negotiations are still open and I hope we can conclude an agreement," he said, highlighting mutual trust. However, DeLaurentiis' position is more cautious: the president reiterated that the club is not for sale and, if one day he were to sell the company, he would prefer a Neapolitan owner to an American fund. This difference in vision between Rizzetta's interest and DeLaurentiis' desire to maintain control of the club is at the heart of the dispute.
Meanwhile, Rizzetta presented an alternative plan in case the sale does not materialize. The Italian American intends to build a new football reality in the city, starting from the bottom and recovering historic brands such as Naples Cricket & Foot-Ball Club or Internapoli. The aim is to create a sports club that combines football, basketball, volleyball and other disciplines, taking inspiration from the models of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Underdog has already acquired the men's and women's teams of Napoli Basket and is working on the opening of a new 15,000-seat arena. “To properly realize our multi-sport vision in Naples, we need football,” Rizzetta admitted.
Rizzetta recognized the merits of DeLaurentiis, stating that "he has done an extraordinary job, but we believe that there are some sectors in which more could be invested: youth sector, infrastructure, innovation and relationship with the community". Despite this criticism, the Italian American remains determined to complete the operation and carry forward his vision for the club. If the agreement is not concluded by the beginning of 2027, Rizzetta is ready to implement his alternative project, which, according to him, could even surpass the original one. The future of Napoli, therefore, remains in the balance, with the start date of 2027 already marked as a turning point.