Donald Trump Reportedly Wants to Buy Pope-Supported Football Club San Lorenzo
Donald Trump is reportedly plotting a bid to buy Argentinian football club San Lorenzo, who are supported by Pope Francis.
That’s according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, who claimed Trump and his business partner Alessandro Proto have a vested interest in the 2014 Copa Libertadores winners:
"A source just told me Donald Trump & Alessandro Proto are looking into buying Argentine club San Lorenzo. #Trump
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) August 27, 2015"
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According to a separate piece from Lewis (h/t Eurosport.co.uk) Trump has sent a “statement of interest” about purchasing San Lorenzo. “Obviously for (Mr. Trump) it would be a great goal!” a San Lorenzo spokesperson is quoted as saying in piece. “For the moment, it is only the first phase.”
Trump, who is currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, has tried to branch out into football ownership previously.
As reported by Lewis, he and Proto had previously looked to buy Colombian side Atletico Nacional, but they eventually balked at the asking price of $150 million (£97.48 million). Afterward, Trump did admit he would be on the hunt for other targets, and there seems to be a genuine interest in San Lorenzo.
The Buenos Aires club have a proud history and burst onto the world stage last season with their maiden triumph in the Copa Libertadores. But they are just as famous for one of their celebrity fans as any their recent work on the field: Pope Francis.
Looking ahead, if Trump was to go through with the acquisition, it’s not a purchase that’ll be well received by everyone. After all, as noted by the aforementioned piece, the 69-year-old insulted Latinos earlier this year by stating “they’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl mentioned, with that in mind, perhaps the potential purchase of San Lorenzo is something His Holiness may have an issue with:
But there’s no denying he and Proto would have the money to move this club forward. According to Forbes, Trump is worth a staggering $4 billion (£2.6 billion), and in a league which is not flush with cash, a smidgen of that kind of capital could go a long way to establishing San Lorenzo at the summit of Argentinian football.
With his political duties in full flow at the moment, it’s questionable whether Trump would take an active role in this venture should a deal go through.
