Lazio Release Statement After Rumors of JPMorgan Takeover Bid | OneFootball

Lazio have categorically denied receiving a purchase offer from JPMorgan Chase for a reported €450 million.

The Background

The club has undergone what has arguably been its most difficult campaign since Claudio Lotito’s takeover in 2004. The organized fan groups have revolted against the increasingly unpopular president, whom they accuse of putting his best interests ahead of the club’s. The majority of the supporters have been boycotting the Biancocelesti’s home fixtures since late January, urging him to sell the club.

For his part, the Italian senator is accusing his detractors of adopting a political agenda and promoting propaganda against him. But while he has been staunchly expressing his desire to maintain his grasp on the club and eventually pass it to his son, Enrico, some sources in the Italian media have been reporting negotiations over a possible sale, with various entities identified as interested parties.

JPMorgan Chase Interested in Buying Lazio?

On Sunday morning, Il Tempo journalist Luigi Bisignani (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) urged Lotito to make a brave decision by stepping down at the right time, while claiming that the 69-year-old had rejected a takeover bid from JPMorgan Chase worth €450, presented to him by one of the bank’s top officials, Enrico Monti, who is also involved in the Stadio Flaminio Project.

Lazio Quash Takeover Rumor

In the afternoon, the official Lazio website was quick to deny the story, insisting that such an offer was never presented.

While the reported bid might indeed be false news, it should also be remembered that the Lazio hierarchy had denied stories in the past that were eventually proven correct, like last summer’s transfer ban, which they initially refuted through an official statement.