Spezia officially announced on Thursday that the Platek family has purchased the club from Gabriele Volpi, becoming the seventh Serie A team owned by foreigners and the fifth by North American entrepreneurs. Robert Platek co-founded MSD Capital alongside tech tycoon Micheal Dell but made it clear that the company is not involved in the takeover.
According to local newspaper La Nazione, the businessman acquired the outfit for just over €20M. He is also the majority stakeholder of Casa Pia in Portugal and Sonderjyske Foodball in Denmark, which both play in the lower leagues.
Volpi leaves the Aquilotti after 13 years at the helm as bought the club when while it was in Serie D in 2008, after it had gone bankrupt, and led them to the second division in the span of seasons. His tenure culminated with the historic first promotion to the top league in 2020.
The change of ownership will not lead to a sudden overhaul of staff as coach Vincenzo Italiano, director Mauro Meluso and chairman Stefano Chisoli have been confirmed in their respective roles for the time being. Spezia are currently in 16th position in the standings, five points above the relegation zone.
Platek stated on the official site of the team: “We are thrilled. Serie A football is in elite class of its own and it has been our long-held ambition to find the right opportunity to partner with a special club in Italy. Spezia Calcio embodies the hard-work and humility espoused by the people of the surrounding area, values shared by our family. We are humbled by this opportunity and proud to play a small role in helping the team grow and achieve further success.”