American Attorney Buying Italian Serie A Club Bologna FC 1909

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

U.S. Attorney Acquiring Bologna FC 1909 (in red)

Bologna FC 1909, which will play in the Italian Serie A in '08-09, today announced that it has been purchased by U.S. criminal defense attorney Joe Tacopina and a group of investors for $25-30M. The present owner, Aktiva SpA, will sell 80% of the club this July and the remaining 20% at a later date. Tacopina, the lead investor, runs Tacopina & Seigel, P.C., a law firm that has represented Michael Jackson and Dutch teen Joran van der Sloot, who is connected with the Natalee Holloway disappearance case in Aruba. He worked with N.Y.-based sports finance company Inner Circle Sports LLC and Italian law firm Tonucci & Partners on the deal.