Today Napoli Basketball received approvals on their binding proposal from Euroleague’s Board to acquire an expansion franchise. As a condition of the proposal, Euroleague’s Board approved management to advance in the process and present Napoli’s proposal to the Euroleague owners for final approval this fall.
“We are honored to have been selected by Euroleague and hopeful that our expansion bid will receive formal approvals,” said Matt Rizzetta, President of Napoli Basketball. “Napoli is a unique destination with global appeal and a passionate sports culture unlike any city in the world. We would like to thank our fans for their passion to help us improve as an organization on a daily basis, as well as the City of Napoli for their support. It has been exciting to see our project come to life and to be considered as a Top 50 professional basketball franchise in the world.”
This announcement follows an exciting offseason for Napoli Basketball, which has seen the club hire legendary European basketball coach Jasmin Repesa and sign a roster full of top Italian talent and various players with NBA and Euroleague pedigree. Ownership also acquired Napoli Women’s Basketball, creating one of the first professional basketball franchises in Europe to have a men’s and women’s team competing at an elite level. Plans to build a new state-of-the-art arena were also presented along with leadership from the City of Napoli at a press conference earlier this month.
The Euroleague is the premier professional basketball league in Europe with the most historic teams, fanbases and brands across the continent competing annually.