No Russian takeover on cards for AS Roma
AS Roma will have to look elsewhere for a buyer after Russian oil tycoon Leonid Fedun has rejected speculations linking him to a potential bid for the Italian side. AS Roma was owned by the Sensi family for a long time but the family was unable to clear
its debts and the Unicredit bank seized the assets to clear the outstanding balance.
Prior to the seizing of the club, AS Roma was being run by Rosella Sensi. Rosella took over the reins of the club following the death of her father, Franco Sensi. Franco was a Roma fan since his childhood and Roma managed to win the 2001 Scudetto under his
command. Following his death, Georgo Soros wanted to buy the club and launched an official bid that was successfully rejected by Rosella.
Due to the financial woes of the Sensi family, Roma has not been able to match the transfer spending of other continental giants. The Gilarossi supporters have been far from satisfied with the amount that has injected over the past couple of years. Indeed
it’s the Roma youth products in the likes of Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi who have come to the club’s rescue.
Leonid Fedun already owns a part of the Russian football league outfit, Spartak Moscow. According to UEFA rules, an owner cannot have shares in two different clubs as long as there is a chance of the two clubs clashing in a competitive fixture. Since both
Spartak Moscow and AS Roma play in European competitions, Fedun will have to give up his stake in the Russian outfit, if he is to make a bid for AS Roma.
Fedun for his part has denied reports linking him to a potential bid, “I have never thought of buying any Italian club. I was also linked with Tottenham Hotspurs two years back but in reality, I only care about Spartak Moscow. I want to make Spartak the
best football club in Russia.”
AS Roma is in risk of losing its big name players if a buyer isn’t found soon. The Gilarossi faithful are praying for a rich owner so that the club is injected with proper reinforcements. For Gilarossi to be competitive in Europe, such a move has become
a necessity.
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