Italian club Campobasso FC’s co-owner Mark Consuelos has extended an invitation to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny’s Wrexham for a Hollywood derby match.
Consequently, what happened?
Because of their ownership’s ties to Hollywood and America, Campobasso FC—dubbed the “Wrexham of Italy” by the media—shares characteristics with their League Two rival. Notably, Consuelos and Kelly Ripa, the power couple who co-host the well-liked talk show “Live with Kelly and Mark” in the US, are two of Campobasso’s co-owners.
THE LARGER IMAGE
The ownership of Consuelos, Kelly Ripa, and Matt Rizzetta started when the club was purchased by North Sixth Group, a holding company based in New York, and an investment group supported by the two celebrities in the late summer of 2022. Like Wrexham, who is currently fighting for consecutive promotion, Campobasso is a fascinating success story that started off little in the fifth tier of Italian football.
Campobasso was acquired in a flash, with the club being bought just eight days prior to the season’s commencement. Significant obstacles to overcome for the new owners included not having a coach, players, a CEO, a sporting director or even knowing how the pitch was being maintained.
Nevertheless, despite all odds, Campobasso surprised everyone by winning the league title with the best goal differential in Italy. They are currently getting ready to move up to Serie C through a series of promotions.
CONSUELOS’S QUOTES
The notion of scheduling a friendly game against Wrexham was warmly welcomed by Consuelos and Rizzetta in a recent interview with The Italian Football Podcast. Consuelos said that he was excited and said, “I would do that in a second. I believe I ought to get in touch with those folks and provide the offer. We’re hoping for a promotion together with them. I concur that it would be a commercial success. That’s what we ought to do. I think it’s a really good concept.
“Mark and I were talking about this yesterday, and he said, ‘Let’s do it, but we have to win,'” continued Campobasso FC chairman Rizzetta. We want to come out on top.
LAVISH PRAISE FOR REYNOLDS & MCELHENNEY CONSUELOS
Reynolds and McElhenney were praised by Consuelos for their dedication to Wrexham, saying: “I think those guys have done a great job, not only for Wrexham but also for the awareness of how European football works.”
“You should also give Ted Lasso credit, although the majority of Americans were unaware of the concept of promotion and relegation. And they do today.
“Wrexham and Campobasso differ from one other in several aspects. Since we are entirely owned by Italian Americans, we all have Italian ancestry. Though we all know that cakes in Italy are superior to those in Wales, I believe there are certain cultural parallels. It’s a blue-collar, hardworking area.
Next?
Consuelos and Rizzetta joked about holding the match in Miami in the heat or in Italy in the sweltering August heat in order to increase their chances of winning.
Football fans are anxiously awaiting further information about the projected Hollywood football derby between Wrexham and Campobasso FC. Should this unprecedented matchup come to pass, it will not only enthral spectators but also serve as a prime example of the expanding global convergence of football and entertainment.
