Headline: American Billionaire Mike Repole Takes Majority Stake in Spezia Calcio
American billionaire Mike Repole has secured a majority ownership stake in Serie C club Spezia Calcio, partnering with Tom Roberts in this significant investment. This move marks a continuing trend of foreign investments in Italian football as more clubs find new guidance from investors from America, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Spezia announced the takeover with a formal statement this evening, confirming Repole’s agreement as the new controlling owner. Former patron Roberts will maintain his role as a minority shareholder.
New Spezia era under American investor
This club, founded in 1906, has faced financial difficulties in the past, going bankrupt multiple times, with the latest incident occurring in 2008 when the team had to restart from the semi-professional Serie D level.
The team’s last stint in Serie A occurred during the 2022/23 season. After narrowly missing promotion back to the top flight in 2025, when they lost the promotion play-off final, they faced a challenging season that led to their relegation to Serie C.
Repole expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “Growing up in an Italian-American family in Queens, I was surrounded by the same pride, passion, loyalty, and sense of community that I see in La Spezia. Spezia is a Club with incredible history, tradition, and passionate supporters, and that’s what makes this opportunity so special.”
The current President, Charlie Stillitano, will continue in his position and has welcomed the beginning of this new era for Spezia Calcio.
According to Forbes, Repole, aged 57, boasts a personal fortune of approximately $2.5 billion, attributed to cofounding the sports drink company BodyArmor in 2011, along with his earlier success with Glaceau.
