Moretti and Foster Gillett's multimillion San Lorenzo pre-deal revealed | OneFootball

During his time as president of San Lorenzo, Marcelo Moretti negotiated a preliminary agreement with American businessman Foster Gillet, who had previously been linked to Estudiantes. According to documents revealed by the outlet Doble Amarilla, the magnate was planning a $612 million investment in exchange for a large portion of the club’s assets.

The 20-page document, signed and certified before a notary, is dated November 6, 2024, and divided the cash injection into two stages. The first was aimed at paying off all liabilities (estimated at $40 million) and building a sports complex and a 55,000-seat stadium in Boedo. The second was tied to strengthening the professional squad with $100 million and guaranteeing nearly $10 million in annual operating expenses.

In exchange for this influx of money, the institution would not formally become a Sports Joint-Stock Company, but it would have had to accept a due diligence stage (an investigation commissioned by an investor to obtain information before carrying out a corporate acquisition/transaction). The club would have given up income from player sales, the first team’s registration and economic rights, television rights, and the stadium land.

The initiative was never finalized because it was never discussed at a Board of Directors meeting or at a meeting of the Cyclone’s Members’ Assembly. In addition, the text contained a confidentiality clause requiring both parties to maintain absolute secrecy regarding everything that had been signed, as well as a 45-day term for the club to accept or reject the agreement.

Throughout the document appear the names of Alejandro Uriel Barros, deputy secretary who eventually resigned from his position in September 2025, and Marcelo Moretti as representatives of San Lorenzo, and Guillermo Tofoni and Foster Lockhart Gillet as investors. In addition, Nazareno Navone acted as intermediary.

In November 2025, Martín Cigna submitted his resignation as secretary of the Boedo club and warned: “For a long time now, there have been strange characters at San Lorenzo, whose true intentions you often don’t know. It’s true (the approach with Gillett), and that was the biggest break we had.”

Five months earlier, Matías Lammens, former Minister of Tourism and Sports, had lashed out at Moretti on WhatsApp in messages that were later leaked: “Stop stealing, you motherfucking thief. I mean it. And stop busting my balls with your lies. Chiqui (Tapia) told me you went to hand the club over to the Casa Rosada; history will judge you.”

Javier Milei’s national government has made its position in favor of allowing SADs into Argentine football clear. In the midst of that tense dispute with the AFA, Gillett’s figure became well known in the country after signing an agreement with Estudiantes de La Plata. After several twists and turns, the American businessman granted the club a $9.7 million loan.

In addition to the credit, Gillett also invested in players. First with Cristian Medina, for whom he triggered the $15 million release clause in his contract with Boca, and then with Facundo Farías, a player for whom he paid $4 million. In any case, the relationship is currently on hold, as Juan Sebastián Verón himself revealed a few months ago. Meanwhile, the American magnate was also behind a failed venture at Uruguay’s Rampla Juniors.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.