TONINO CAGNUCCI
Si chiama George Soros, è uno degli uomini più ricchi del mondo e vuole comprare la AS Roma. Nei prossimi giorni ci saràl’incontro per discutere dell’offerta alla proprietàgiallorossa e quindi mettere le basi per chiudere la trattativa non oltre giugno. L’ultima parola spetta alla famiglia Sensi che ieri non ha smentito l’interessamento del presidente del Soros Fund management e fondatore del Quantum Fund, (uno dei fondi d’investimento più famosi al mondo) reso noto da Milano Finanza. In Borsa il titolo è salito del 3,46%.
George Soros è stato individuato dalla Inner Circle Sports llc, un fondo di investimento con sede a New York, una merchant bank specializzata nel business sportivo che, tra le altre operazioni, ha assistito i miliardari Tom Hicks e George Gillett nella scalata da 240 milioni di sterline per il Liverfekkin'wankscum. Per la Inner Circle in questa operazione ha lavorato anche Rothschild, tra le banche di investimento più importanti, per valutare fino agli ultimi dettagli ogni implicazione legata all’operazione, non solo i dati di bilancio della AS Roma e quelli della controllante ItalPetroli (indebitata di 367 milioni di euro), ma anche le potenzialitàdi un bacino d’utenza lontano dall’essere pienamente sfruttato. Dell’operazione fa parte anche l’avvocato Joe Tacopina, salito agli onori delle cronache italiane per essere il difensore di Amanda Knox nel delitto di Perugia. L’offerta dovrebbe ammontare ad oltre 200 milioni di euro. Emissari americani hanno giàallacciato contatti con rappresentati dell’attuale proprietàromanista, e, in particolare - stando a quanto riporta Milano Finanza - con un legale esterno alla Roma e alla ItalPetroli, ma vicino ai Sensi: Gian Roberto De Giovanni, dello studio legale Lovells di Roma, che giàintervenne nella trattativa, poi fallita, tra la famiglia e la Nafta Moskva.
Sciolte le riserve, Soros appare chiaramente favorito nell’acquisto della AS Roma rispetto alla cordata, sempre statunitense, che fa capo alla Wasserman Media di Casey Wasserman e che ha come principale finanziatore il magnate dell’abbigliamento casual John J. Fischer, della famiglia proprietaria dei marchi Gap e Banana Republic. Nella cordata è stato coinvolto anche Raffaello Follieri, giovane uomo d’affari molto attivo nel mercato immobiliare Usa, amico dei Clinton, che ha saldato il suo interessamento con quello primigenio di Wasserman e che recentemente ha firmato un documento nel quale segnala «di non aver niente a che vedere» con l’altra operazione, cioè quella messa in piedi dalla Inner Circle.
L’eventuale eliminazione della squadra dalla Champions League potrebbe accelerare le cose. Chiunque vinca la corsa ha intenzione di costruire uno stadio di proprietàper l’AS Roma. Anche l’offerta di Fischer dovrebbe aggirarsi attorno ai 200 milioni di euro e potrebbe prevedere il mantenimento, in un ruolo da individuare, della famiglia Sensi nel nuovo assetto societario; altrimenti con l’eventuale e più probabile arrivo di Soros ai Sensi saràdestinata una carica onoraria.
La Roma ancora in primo piano per questioni finanziarie. La societàgiallorossa da mesi ormai è sulle prime pagine dei quotidiani per presunte offerte di acquisto ricevute. Nell'ultimo periodo si sono fatte sempre più insistenti, in particolare quelle che riguardano investitori statunitensi. Dopo le voci sulla cordata di Casy Wasserman e John J.Fisher, ora spunta un altro pool di finanziatori, tra cui il magnate George Soros, riuniti intorno alla merchant bank Inner Circle di New York, gia' coinvolta nell'acquisto del Liverfekkin'wankscum da parte di Tom Hicks e George Gillett. Entrambi i gruppi, scrive MF, non dovrebbero essere lontani dal muovere i propri passi formali, visto che le due diligence sono gia' state consegnate. Per la Inner Circle ha lavorato Banca Rothschild, mentre per Wasserman ancora non si conosce il nome dell'advisor, ma sembra accertato che nessuna delle due cordate e' legata al discusso finanziere foggiano Raffaello Follieri, il cui nome e' stato nelle settimane scorse accostato all'operazione. Per ora, comunque, nessuna offerta formale e' stata portata all'attenzione della famiglia Sensi o del management di ItalPetroli, la holding che controlla la As Roma e che e' partecipata al 49% da UniCredit. Tra l'altro, in diverse occasioni, Rosella Sensi, a.d. della societa' di calcio, ha dichiarato ch la Roma non e' in vendita. Secondo quanto risulta a MF-Milano Finanza, comunque, emissari degli americani avrebbero preso contatto con un legale esterno alla Roma e alla ItalPetroli, ma vicino ai Sensi: si tratta di Gian Roberto De Giovanni, dello studio legale Lovells di Roma, che gia' intervenne nella trattativa, poi fallita, tra la famiglia e la Nafta Moskva.
Pipe down Glad, I was too tired to translate it...
The interest from this fucker is heating up:
SOROS, ieri a Roma: altro indizio LaRomasiamonoi.it – 08.04.2008 12.23 di Redazione Laromasiamonoi
Secondo indiscrezioni ieri sera in un noto ristorante romano, sembrerebbe che il magnate americano di origini ungheresi, George Soros, fosse a Roma con il suo staff. Erano presenti a questa cena anche un contabile romano ed noto personaggio della moda italiana. Questo è l’ultimo dei tanti indizi che portano Soros come prossimo possibile proprietario della AS Roma. Quanti indizi servono per fare una prova?
Roma Set For American Take-Over This Week? Seventy-eight-year-old American billionaire George Soros could complete his takeover of Roma as early as this week, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport.
There have been strong reports in the Italian media for several weeks now that Roma would have to be sold due to the fact that the club's parent company, Italpetroli, had accumulated debts in the region of €370m.
Giallorossi administrative delegate Rosella Sensi (pictured) has since made numerous declarations that her father, President Franco Sensi, would not be selling.
A number of American businessmen, including John Joseph Fisher, and Liverfekkin'wankscum FC co-owner Tom Hicks, have been heavily associated, however a new name has entered the fray in recent days.
His name is George Soros, and he is a billionaire, philanthropist and political activist.
Soros’s representatives, Rothschild Bank, will meet with the Sensi family’s legal team, straight after Roma's Champions League tie in Manchester on Wednesday.
If the talks go well, Soros is then expected to launch an immediate takeover bid. In order to soften up Roma fans, who are against foreign ownership, the 78-year-old has spoken in glowing terms of Francesco Totti.
“Totti is simply a phenomenon. I like him very much,â€
This Soros business is really heating up. Roma stock was up over 17% yesterday. Lets face it, the guy is seriously rich and he could write a check tomorrow to buy Roma, Italpetroli, pay off all of the debts, the whole shabang.
I am against the Soros ownership but if he really wants it, he will pay more to Sensi to get it. The question is, do we want him as the owner. Clearly the fans do not but money is the king in these negotiations. I am waiting for Caltigirone to get in on this business.
Civis Romanus sum _____ http://www.liceogiuliocesare.it
Perhaps this is what it will take Italiamia. Some real solid interest and a real solid offer from some rich foreign investor smuc and then perhaps the Sensi's will give in to the idea of selling, and then someone like Caltigirone or Toti can step in and make an offer. Perhaps that is wishful thinking, but we must avoid foreign ownership, and Caltigirone is the man all of Rome wants.
Roma will continue to receive financial backing from the Sensi family despite ongoing suggestions of a possible takeover.
There have been strong reports in the Italian media for several weeks now that Roma would have to be sold due to the fact that the club's parent company, Italpetroli, had accumulated debts in the region of US 580million.
American billionaires John Fisher and George Soros have been reportedly linked to the Serie A club.
However, a statement by Italpetroli read: "Italpetroli, in its role as indirect controller of AS Roma, wants to state that even though in recent months it has received signs of possible interests from third parties to hold AS Roma Shares, none have matured into concrete offers.
"Italpetroli wants to clarify that in no case can these rumours lead to the belief that the Sensi family would disengage themselves from the club.
"With reference to an article published in the press that mentions the presumed meetings between the club and the legal advisors of the reported potential investor, Italpetroli and AS Roma wish to state that this story is without foundation."
The first line of the article is all anyone needs to know about the sale of Roma. "There are at least 340 million good reasons for the Sensi's to sell Roma...."
Civis Romanus sum _____ http://www.liceogiuliocesare.it
Con riferimento alle notizie diffuse da un organo di stampa in data odierna in merito agli assetti proprietari di A.S. Roma S.p.A., Compagnia Italpetroli S.p.A., nella sua qualitàdi controllante indiretta, e A.S. Roma precisano quanto segue.
In merito al ruolo della banca di affari Lazard & Co, si rende noto che la stessa svolge la funzione di advisor di Compagnia Italpetroli S.p.A. e, nell’ambito degli incarichi affidati, non è prevista alcuna attivitàvolta alla cessione da parte di Compagnia Italpetroli della propria partecipazione di controllo in A.S. Roma.
Yet another intesting if worrying piece on the financial state of the Sensi family, suggesting that they are now over €400m in debt:
S.O.S: ROMA DA SALVARE LO FARANNO INTER E SAMP? RomaNews – pubblicata venerdì 20 febbraio 2009
La trascrizione integrale dell'articolo pubblicato oggi dalla Gazzetta dello Sport, dal titolo: "S.o.s: Roma da salvare Lo faranno Inter e Samp?".
Un altro pezzo sta per andare, ma questo è quello forte della collezione Sensi: i tre depositi e la torre petrolifera nel porto di Civitavecchia, praticamente tutto il core business del gruppo. Verranno ceduti a breve, e giàquesta è una notizia. Ma scoprire a chi andranno è anche più interessante. Quattro i soggetti interessati: il presidente dell’Inter e amministratore delegato della Saras (leader nella raffinazione petrolifera) Massimo Moratti, il presidente della Samp e presidente onorario della Erg (leader nel settore energetico) Riccardo Garrone, un fondo americano, uno australiano. Prezzo: 100 milioni di euro trattabili. Chi offre di più, si prende tutto.
L’affare è gestito da Lazard, la banca d’affari francese cui Unicredit ha affidato le proprietàdei Sensi, con un imperativo: vendere tutto e il prima possibile per coprire i debiti di Italpetroli, che ormai sfiorano i 400 milioni. I Sensi avevano tempo fino al 31 dicembre scorso per pagare la prima rata (150 milioni), ma non l’hanno fatto. Perciò, Unicredit ha messo tutto nelle mani di Lazard. La banca d’affari ha realizzato depliant informativi (anche sui terreni di Torrevecchia) e li ha fatti circolare nel mercato. I terreni sono finiti nelle mire di Caltagirone (costruttore ed editore de Il Messaggero), ma qui la vendita è vincolata ad alcune autorizzazioni comunali mancanti. I depositi e la piattaforma petrolifera di Civitavecchia, invece, hanno riscosso l’attenzione di Moratti e Garrone. Sarebbe curioso se fossero Inter o Sampdoria a salvare Rosella Sensi e, quindi, la Roma.
Mica fessi Moratti e Garrone, hanno fiutato l’affare: Civitavecchia è un polo in grande espansione. Il porto è giàuno dei primi in Europa per flusso di passeggeri, e ha una vocazione petrolifera (il carburante per l’aeroporto di Fiumicino passa da qui) consolidata negli anni. C’è poi un progetto («Darsena grandi masse») che da qui al 2011 renderàCivitavecchia un polo carbonifero ed energetico all’avanguardia. I Sensi non sarebbero più interessati (gli resterebbe solo una piccola quota nella societàche si occupa della darsena con Enel e Marcellino Gavio). D’altronde hanno fatto una scelta: vendere tutto il resto prima della Roma. Come prenderanno la notizia i romanisti? Se saràMassimo Moratti l’acquirente gli toccheràringraziarlo: lui si è già«accollato» Chivu e Mancini. Sarebbe curioso, anche questo.
Secondo quanto riportato dalla "Gazzetta dello Sport", la Roma non pagherebbe gli stipendi a giocatori e dipendenti da 2-3 mesi. Sempre secondo il giornale milanese, Totti vorrebbe 5 milioni all’anno per i prossimi 4 anni, Vucinic avrebbe rifiutato un’offerta di 1.4 milioni a salire mentre Juan avrebbe vorrebbe 2.5 milioni annui, altrimenti potrebbe liberarsi per meno di 10 milioni, sfruttando la clausola sul contratto. Quest’anno scadràinvece il contratto del ds Pradè, il cui rinnovo, anche a causa di alcuni dissidi con Spalletti, non sarebbe nei programmi della societàgiallorossa.
i caught this post over at the offside, from "Michael Prokhorov", which appears to summerize the current state of financial affairs with the club and its associated parent company in pretty good detail. Of particular interest is the pdf link which is an official statement of the club's financial balance from last year in which we see negative cash flow likely thanks to a disproportionately high president's salary (i read somewhere else it is the highest in serie a) and having the rest of the family and pet hampster on the payroll. okay, okay, i should stop hating......missing the cl might have had a bit to do with it as well.
Michael Prokhorov | November 10th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
AS ROMA don’t own any of the facilities everything they use are leased. The training grounds, the stadium, the AS Roma stores, it’s all rented. AS Roma is the logo’s (if your lucky, because they too are owned by a separate company and player contracts.
It might be worth more in terms of potential value, but that’s not how you buy a business. You judge it’s assets and place a price on those, AS Roma has very few assets.
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ItalPetroli’s debt has risen by over the half billion (500 million Euros) mark, according to Milano Finanzia.
The interest rates on a debt so high would be the factor that make paying that debt back without liquidating near impossible. I don’t understand what the end game is for this woman, even if she wants to keep AS Roma at all costs, who doesn’t she liquidate some of their other assets? It’s like she’s waiting for some magical solution. Political connects will only last so long, sooner or later someone will come along that the system likes just as much as her, if not more, and it’s got to be lights out.
Some other bits:
- ItalPetroli closed 2008 with 32 million in the red.
- 403 million of the debt is with UniCredit
- While the debts accumulate the Sensi don’t quit, they raised the pay given to the board of directors of ItalPetroli from 1,2 million a year to 2,4 million a year.
http://bo.asroma.it/UserFiles/1007.pdf This PDF is the balance for the 2008/09 season which was closed out this summer.
It closed 1.9 million in the red. So not only did win not win anything, and endured the likes of Loria. We didn’t even close in the plus column, which according to the midget should be a symbol of her presidency and how virtuous this club is.
Also if you examine the PDF you can see the Aquilani money was used to pay 2 months worth of salaries during the summer.
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Rosella Sensi pays herself a salary from AS Roma that is higher that a good portion of the players. She recieves 1.1 million a year for her role as DG. Ironic because the players don’t see her more than 4 times a year. The board of directors, which includes her mother and sisters also receive compensation for their services. The logo types, both the old logo and the new one with the wolf and two children under it have been sold from AS Roma to a marketing company owned by Silvia Sensi. AS Roma leases the logos from this company and pays to use them. The only reason for this move is to move money out of AS Roma and into the Sensi family. This is the same that will happen when the bank gives the Sensi family the option to buy back Trigoria. It will pass to a seperate company and be rented by AS Roma, so that the Sensi family can pocket the money from it.
So the Sensi family eats very well from AS Roma, and puts a lot of money into their pockets from it.
Food for thought …
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A couple of years ago, Rosella put the same show on as she did with the stadium. Promising to build a sport complex / Cittadella Dello Sport / for AS Roma and the city. The complex was going to include a brand new training facility for AS Roma and all these other great things that got the city and fans excited and behind it. All that needed to be done was give the Sensi family new permits on lands they owned, like this situation with the stadium this land was undevelopable. The mayor, back then it was Veltroni, granted to change these permits as a gift to AS Roma. Today there is no Cittadella Dello Sport. There are no plans to build any, and it’s been put aside and forgetten. What came from this was that land owned by the Sensi family doubled in value because you can now pour in cement and build anything you like. Since then the Sensi family has been trying to sell the land, surely with the thought of giving UniCredit some loving.
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Well, because the controlling company is indebted it puts the healthy asset (AS Roma) at grave danger. Because of the amount of debt the parent company has, the healthy asset is limited in what actions it has available. The perfect example being building a stadium, there is simply no way for AS Roma to get a loan because of the debt associated with it’s parent company. Another situation, and one that I greatly fear, is that should the banks move to freeze the Sensi family business, which they are entitled to, is that AS Roma could be put into a state where they can not operate and everything would freeze. No power to even renew contracts until the dispute is settled. For a football club this is a very dangerous situation that could see it lose what little assets it has left.
The situation with the trademarks and the training grounds is very complicated. One would assume that is AS Roma is sold with the blessing of the Sensi family, that they will be included into the deal. However if it goes the way many people believe it will inevitably go, then there is the risk that AS Roma will be left with very little and need to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Posted from
This really gives you a sense of just how bad things are. She won't let go because she stands to lose too much money, and it's destroying the club. Hopefully this will all end soon.
Latest Deloitte Money League tables released, and we were the biggest fallers overall, dropping from 12th to 18th.
Here is a link to the PDF of the list, we are on page 26:
AS ROMA – €122.7m – 2009 Revenue €146.4m – 2009 Position (12)
AS Roma experience the largest fall in position in this year’s Money League, dropping six places, with nonqualification for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in four years resulting in a revenue drop of €23.7m (16%) to €122.7m (£100.5m).
Despite not participating in Europe’s top clubs’ competition, the Giallorossi competed strongly in domestic competitions finishing runner-up in Serie A in a closely fought race for the Scudetto with Internazionale and losing to the same opposition in the Coppa Italia.
Broadcasting remains the dominant revenue stream contributing €65.6m (53%) of total revenue. Progressing to the round of 32 of the Europa League delivered just €2.2m (£1.8m) in UEFA central distributions. The lack of revenue from participation in Europe’s top tier clubs’ competition meant that broadcasting revenue dropped by €21.3m (25%).
The Giallorossi generate the second lowest matchday revenues of any Money League club, narrowly beating Juventus. Despite non-participation in the Champions League, the club’s matchday revenues slightly increased by €0.2m (1%) to €19m (£15.6m) due to its strong domestic competition performance. The club’s average attendances for Serie A matches was 40,925.
Commercial revenues totalled €38.1m (£31.2m), a €2.6m (6%) decrease compared to the previous year. However, the club extended its shirt sponsorship deal with telecommunications company Wind for a further three seasons to 2012/13 and struck a kit supply deal with Basic Italia until the 2016/17 season, worth average guaranteed basic fees of €5.5m (£4.5m) and €6.8m (£5.6m) per year respectively.
The club’s return to the Champions League in 2010/11 will deliver revenue growth and allow it to compete for a higher Money League placing in future seasons. However, it has key challenges off the pitch. The Sensi family put the club up for sale in the summer of 2010, whilst the club will need to accelerate plans for a new stadium in order to provide the platform for it to compete with its European peers in the longer-term. We do not anticipate a return to the Money League top ten for Roma in the foreseeable future.