Joseph Portelli reaches agreement to buy Nocerina Calcio

Joseph Portelli is reportedly close to finalising a deal to purchase Italian Serie D club Nocerina Calcio, after reaching an agreement in principle with the current owners.

Portelli has long signalled his intention to get into Italian football and has recently been linked with a number of lower-division clubs.

Earlier this year, his €1.3 million bid to purchase Siena Calcio was rejected by the club’s officials. According to a report by Gazzetta di Siena, the Maltese businessman submitted an offer of €1.3 million to take control of the club, which was turned down by Siena’s owners.

The report said Portelli had initially tabled a €1 million bid for full ownership, before increasing the offer in an attempt to persuade the club’s top administration.

Last February, Portelli was greeted by Nocerina supporters with great enthusiasm. 

Portelli acknowledged that negotiations with Nocerina were at an advanced stage. 

On Tuesday night, Nocerina Live, a website covering Serie D football, reported that Portelli held a conference call with senior club figures, during which the main terms of a takeover were agreed. 

Portelli is already well known in Maltese football as the president of Ħamrun Spartans, one of the country’s most successful clubs in recent years.

Nocerina, which is also associated with the same red and black of Ħamrun Spartans, is a football club in Campania founded in 1910.