Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny's Wrexham have been invited to a Hollywood derby match by Italian club Campobasso FC's co-owner Mark Consuelos.
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Unique Hollywood derby proposed by Campobasso FCPower couple Consuelos and Ripa co-own teamItalian outfit share similar journey to WrexhamGetty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
Campobasso FC, often dubbed as the ‘Wrexham of Italy’ by some media outlets, share similarities with their League Two counterpart due to their ownership's connections to America and Hollywood. Notably, two of Campobasso's co-owners are renowned actors and the power couple Consuelos and Kelly Ripa, who co-host the popular ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’ chat show in the United States.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The journey of Campobasso FC under the ownership of Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, and Matt Rizzetta began in late summer 2022 when the club was acquired by the New York-based holding company, North Sixth Group, along with an investment group backed by the two celebrities. Despite its humble beginnings in the fifth tier of Italian football, Campobasso has emerged as a captivating success story, akin to Wrexham who are now vying for successive promotion.
The acquisition of Campobasso was a whirlwind affair, with the club being purchased just eight days before the start of the season. The new owners faced significant challenges, including the absence of a coach, players, CEO, sporting director, and even concerns about the pitch condition.
However, against all odds, Campobasso defied expectations and clinched the league title with the best goal difference in Italy, and are now preparing themselves for successive promotions to climb to Serie C.
WHAT CONSUELOS SAID
In a recent interview with , Consuelos and Rizzetta enthusiastically embraced the idea of organising a friendly match against Wrexham. Consuelos expressed his eagerness, stating: "I would do that in a second. I think I should reach out to those guys and make the offer. Hopefully, they get promoted and we get promoted. I agree [it would be a commercial hit]. We should do it. I think it’s a great idea.”
Rizzetta, Campobasso FC’s chairman added: “Mark and I were talking about this yesterday and he said ‘Let’s do it, but we have to win’. We are in it to win it.”
CONSUELOS LAVISHED PRAISE ON REYNOLDS & MCELHENNEY
Consuelos hailed Reynolds and McElhenney for their commitment to Wrexham and stated: "I think what those guys have done, not only for Wrexham but also for the awareness of how European football works, I think they have done a great job.
"You can also thank Ted Lasso, but most Americans had no idea about promotion and relegation, and what that meant. And now they do.
“Campobasso and Wrexham are different in a number of ways. We are 100 per cent American-Italian owned so we all have roots in Italy. We definitely know the cakes are better in Italy than Wales, but I think there are similarities with the people. It is a hard-working blue-collared region.”