The Napoli president addressed the speculation after reports emerged that he and Rizzetta had met to discuss a possible purchase. Rizzetta, who is involved with Napoli’s basketball project, has been linked to a group of investors interested in the football club.
“Napoli are not for sale,” De Laurentiis said in comments reported by Sky Sport Italia. He confirmed that he had met Rizzetta, but said the encounters had taken place in connection with sporting interests rather than a completed or ongoing sale process.
De Laurentiis also revealed that an approach had been made previously, with a proposed valuation of approximately €2.26 billion. However, the suggested payment structure was a major obstacle: part of the sum would have been paid at signing, with the remainder spread over three years.
He said the arrangement would have reduced his role over time until he became honorary president, leaving him concerned about the future of a club he has led for more than two decades.
The president said that money was not the only consideration when deciding whether to sell. He also wanted assurances that a new owner could protect the work and identity built during his tenure.
Although he has no immediate intention of relinquishing control, De Laurentiis indicated that if he eventually decided to sell, he would prefer a buyer from Naples rather than an American investor.
“I have not decided to sell for now, but if I did, I would prefer to sell to someone from Naples rather than an American,” he said.
Rizzetta also responded to the renewed attention, seeking to distinguish his basketball involvement from any potential football investment. He said the Napoli basketball project was part of his wider business portfolio, while any interest in the football club would involve Underdog Global Partners and its investors rather than him acting alone.
He stressed that the projects were separate and that the funding involved was not something he could provide personally. Rizzetta has previously been associated with proposals involving substantial investment in the city’s basketball operation.
The latest comments have again brought the possibility of a Napoli sale into public discussion, but De Laurentiis’s position remains clear. He says he is not looking to sell, and no takeover agreement has been announced.
For now, attention returns to the club’s sporting ambitions and De Laurentiis’s stated desire to develop a new stadium. Any future ownership change would depend on his decision to step aside and on a proposal that meets both his financial expectations and his concerns about Napoli’s long-term direction.