Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos announces purchase of major sports team – but she wanted a new home instead
TELEVISION STARS Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are starring in a new documentary detailing their ownership of an Italian soccer team.
Named “Running with the Wolves”, the new ESPN doc accounts for their purchase of Campobasso Football Club in 2022.
The new four-part series, premiering on July 29, incorporates the clubs nickname “Lupi” – Italian for “Wolves” – into the title.
The daytime TV stars, both 54, were part of the purchase group alongside United States-based North Six Group, led by Matt Rizzetta, in 2022.
Consuelos reveals how he “grew up watching Italian soccer”, with Ripa originally revealing she thought the purchase was for a property, as he jokes: “Well, there’s a stadium.”
PEOPLE spoke to the couple about the new series, saying: “Campobasso FC represents the underdog that lives in all of us.
“Building the Campobasso FC project from the ground-up has been one of the wildest and most rewarding adventures we’ve ever taken on, and we can’t wait for new and longtime fans to join us for this ride.
“We are just getting started!”
Back in 2023 the pair called the idea a “hair-brained idea”.
However, while Campobasso has had its share of struggles.
This includes being expelled by the Italian football federation in 2022 before the North Six purchase, they have since made huge strides up the ladder after the secondary club of the city, Campobasso 1919, becoming the de factor heir to the previous club.
With the new club returning to Serie D for the 2023/24 season, the ambitious owners put together a squad which earned promotion to the Serie C.
Consuelos said: “We assembled a team, many of which didn’t see each other until three days before the first game.
“Our home field was in disarray, they had mushrooms growing on the field, so we had to play on visiting neighboring towns and small fields.”
Ripa joked in another scene: “Are we picking players on how good looking they are?”
Last season the team finished 14th in Group B of Serie C, picking up 11 wins, 10 draws and 17 losses.
