Il Tempo (Austini & Biafora) – The turning point in Rome is approaching and it’s taking the shape of a epochal transition in the history of the club. Dan Friedkin is about to get his hands on the majority of shares of the club AS Roma. It’s no longer a transition to gradual steps, but a real changing of the guard at the helm of Roma. The contacts between the Texas-based consortium The Friedkin Group and James Pallotta are daily and are moving forward quickly. Substantial news is expected in the coming days, if not in the next coming hours.
Negotiations continue at a brisk pace in the United States, where AS Roma Spv LLC, the parent company of the Giallorossi is based, and where the lawyers of the two American entrepreneurs are taking place. Dan Friedkin, the CEO of The Friedkin Group, wants to take direct control of Roma as he and Pallotta are closing in on finding the valuation of the deal starting with a total assessment of $1 billion from which to scale the €273 million of club debts and the share of capital increase by €150 million.
And at the moment, all the signs are pointing to a successful conclusion of talks. Pallotta entered the world of Roma in 2011 and became president of the club since in August 2012. The American ford not want to sell the club without having won a trophy and without having started construction
of the stadium, but he’s being pressed by the members present in his own consortium, who are tired of investing money without seeing any return.
On the day when the capital increase was approved, the Giallorossi president informed his investor friends of the possibility of selling and a few weeks later, Friedkin’s interest manifested itself. Friedkin will assign a role of primary importance to his son Ryan, who was present with him in the Italian capital in November. While Pallotta may soon be present in Rome if the deal goes through — Friedkin intends to keep in place the current Roma management, at least during their first phase.
