Serie A side Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly "turned down an American offer" to buy 49% of the club, according to FOOTBALL ITALIA. Calciomercato.it reported U.S. investors "put forward a proposal to take over just under half the club’s shares." They would also "invest heavily in the construction of a new stadium," which could be on the site of the San Paolo or elsewhere in the city. However, De Laurentiis is said to have "informed them Napoli is not for sale" and "he can take care of the arena issue." The American investors "could now turn their focus" toward a different Serie A club (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 3/30).
CLUB 'APPALLED': ESPN reported Napoli said that it will boycott a TV station after the network claimed striker Gonzalo Higuain "had refused a new contract from the club." Mediaset Premium reported Higuain had informed the club of his decision "not to extend his contract," leading to speculation that he would be sold for €96M ($109M) in the summer. Napoli, however, has "refuted the story," and has since mandated that players "no longer give interviews to the outlet." The club said in a statement, "Napoli are appalled by Paolo Bargiggia's service which was broadcast on Mediaset, telling a series of falsehoods regarding the employment relationship between Gonzalo Higuain and SSCN" (ESPN, 3/30).
