Rizzetta: We’re aware of expectations, we want Ascoli in Serie A

Date: 10th September 2021 at 1:35pm
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Matt Rizzetta, chairman of North Sixth Group, who recently bought 31 percent of Ascoli, is hoping to get the club back into Serie A as soon as possible.

I Picchi are currently in Serie B and haven’t been in Italian football’s top tier since the mid-2000s.

“Ascoli was founded over 125 years ago, when you take over any business founded so long ago, that comes with enormous responsibility and sense of importance,” Rizzetta told The Italian Football Podcast. “The level of expectation that the fans have is something we are well aware of. Our goal is obviously to get back to Serie A. The margin of error is slim to none.

“We feel this is a partnership with the Pulcinelli family, who have done an incredible job since taking over Ascoli and especially during covid-19 which hit the football industry really hard.

“We see an incredible foundation built by the Pulcinelli family, our skillset lays in our network internationally particularly in North America and we’re betting on that combination where the Pulcinelli family will continue to build and run the club in Italy whilst we focus internationally.

“Our job is to focus on building Ascoli on the international market in a number of ways, via content, merchandising, scouting to open an Ascoli New York City club where we will be having watch parties every Sunday’s to watch games with the ownership for free and give people a chance to fall in love with the club.”

Rizzetta has a history in Italian football, having owned Campobasso as well.

“When you’re talking about Ascoli you’re talking about a completely different project and level of expectation than Campobasso, who had an amazing history but Ascoli are at a completely different level,” Rizzetta said.

“At Campobasso, we had a blank slate and a blank canvass to work on to create a new brand for them. Prior to our entering Campobasso hadn’t been promoted to the third tier for 32 years.

“But Ascoli is different, our job is to preserve the tradition and to introduce people internationally to the foundation that has already been built over the last 125 years.

“We’re motivated by both projects even though the level of expectations and ambition is different, but we’re extremely passionate by both of these projects.”

Having now recently arrived at Ascoli, he has been pleased with the reception he has been given.

“The reception from the fans has been incredible,” Rizzetta said, “they’ve embraced us with open arms which is amazing to see.

“We’re going to Italy in October, we’ll be going to two games, including the home game against SPAL, which will be a friendly American derby as SPAL is owned by an Americal group led by Joe Tacopina.

“Our representative, Daniella Mancinelli who is CEO of N6A which is part of North Sixth Group, went to Ascoli’s home win against Cozenza and afterwards she was raving when she called me saying “Matt we’ve made the right choice.”

 

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