Lazio President Claudio Lotito is reportedly furious after Salernitana were sold for €10m to Danilo Iervolino, as he had hoped to make €70m from the transaction.
Lotito started from scratch with Salernitana after their bankruptcy sent them back down to Serie D in July 2011.
It is believed he ploughed circa €42m into the club over the years, helping them climb up the divisions for a return to Serie A this season after over 20 years, regularly loaning them players from Lazio.
However, it is against the rules for one person or organisation to own two different clubs in the same Italian division.
Salernitana bought by businessman Iervolino minutes before deadline
Lotito knew this when Salernitana secured promotion from Serie B in May 2021, but left it until the last possible minute to agree a sale.
If no new buyer had been found by midnight on December 31, then Salernitana would’ve been thrown out of Serie A for this season.
Local businessman Iervolino stepped in and reportedly paid €10m to purchase the Serie A club.
According to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Lotito is livid, as he was originally asking for €70m to sell over the summer.
He also maintains the trustees in charge of the sale turned down more substantial proposals, including one from a Swiss trust fund, as they wanted guarantees of financial stability.
Now news agency ANSA claims that the Swiss fund is ready to take legal action and protest they had offered more than Iervolino.