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Hubbard native Patrick Chovan, left in Navy shirt, cheers alongside the rest of the ownership group of Campobasso after scoring their fourth goal in their final match of this past season.
As the saying goes, put your money where your mouth is.
Or, in Hubbard native Patrick Chovan’s case, put it where the heart is.
A lifelong fan of soccer, Chovan had and took the opportunity to join an ownership group of Italian soccer team, the Campobasso Football Club, which competes in Italy’s league system.
It started as Chovan, who now lives in nearby Hermitage, Pa., was scrolling Instagram and came across America Domani, a media outlet targeted toward Italian-Americans.
He reached out to the page and soon was connected with Matt Rizzetta, who heads up New York-based North Sixth Group. The group, which also included actor Mark Consuelos and actress Kelly Ripa, was looking into purchasing Campobasso.
Meanwhile, Chovan and Rizzetta hit it off, and Chovan was invited to join the investing group to purchase the franchise.
“I’m a lifelong soccer fan, especially in the Italian leagues,” said Chovan, whose “regular” job is in the lumber industry. “It was like a dream come true.”
The group closed on the deal Sept. 11, 2022. The season began 8 days later.
To make things more hectic, the team was previously hit with a ban due to administrative non-compliance by the previous majority ownership group, and was at risk of not competing in the 2022-23 season.
“North Sixth Group found out about this, and literally put the team together in a week,” Chovan said. “There wasn’t a player, there wasn’t a coach, there wasn’t a general manager. There were mushrooms growing on the field. … It was full speed ahead. There was no time to spare when they made the decision (to purchase the team). … So we got a good group of people in on the ground, and they went full speed ahead.”
The speed was matched with success.
Playing in Italy’s fifth tier of the league system, Eccellenza, Campobasso posted a 28-2 record, outscored its opponents 134-10 and captured a division title and, in turn, a promotion to Serie D, the fourth tier of Italy’s system.
Initially, Chovan said, the team needed to gain the trust of the fans and community back because of the ordeal prior to purchasing the team. But as the wins came in bunches, so did the fans.
The last match of the season, in which the team captured its title, was moved to a larger venue because of the outpouring of support the team was receiving, Chovan said.
“That was really awesome to see — to see them come back around and celebrate and just experience that joy,” Chovan said.
In fact, Chovan was able to fly out for that season finale and meet his business partners, the coaches, general manager and the players.
“It was one of those full-circle moments where nine months prior to winning a championship, it was insanity,” he said. “It was just fantastic. … Then to win the match that won us the championship and the celebrations with the town and the fans during and afterward, it was just the ultimate lifetime memory.”
It’s extra special because of the similarities Chovan sees between Campobasso, a city of roughly 50,000 people, and the Mahoning Valley.
“They’re hard-working people, and they don’t get cut a lot of breaks and there’s no handouts,” Chovan said of the two areas. “It just has a lot of similarities to how we live here (in the Mahoning Valley) and how we’re viewed by the larger public.”
With the early momentum, Chovan says the long-term goal is to continue to win and be promoted to Serie C and then eventually Serie B. Now in the offseason, Campobasso’s front office is exploring its options, and Chovan says the ownership group is “all in” on earning its spot in Serie C in the upcoming campaign.
As such, there’s been plenty of roster turnover and coaching turnover as the team invests its resources.
“It’s like the ultimate fantasy football,” Chovan said. “It’s everything you would think of with owning a team. It’s real. So it’s a lot of fun. You’re talking about guys and systems, it’s pretty neat.”
That’s all in hopes of continuing building support with Campobasso and the Molise region as well as here in the Mahoning Valley.
“The fact that a professional team has local ownership, I hope it means a lot,” Chovan said. “I hope it means a lot to the people of our area, too.”
Campobasso begins the 2023-24 campaign in early September. Those interested in following the team can visit its website at cb1919.com. Matches, typically held at 9 a.m. eastern time on Sundays, can be viewed on the team’s YouTube page.
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