"The club must be self-sufficient"

Robert Lewis, the newly appointed co-president of Cesena FC, met the press for the first time after the seal of the deal in the early afternoon. These were his first words as a Bianconero: "I am not Italian-American, but I adopted this country 37 years ago when I met my wife: I know the area, where I have been comfortable for a long time, and when John first presented me the opportunity to acquire a team in this area, close to home, it was a dream come true. Here I met terrific people who I immediately felt a connection with: Cesena FC is a high-quality club, with Serie-A-level structures, and above all financially sound, which is rare in football. We are very happy to work with such wonderful people: we will contribute with our ideas, trying to combine the American sport culture with the Italian one, and I believe that together we will be stronger".

Lewis then focused on the reasons that led him and John Aiello to join the football world and, especially, Cesena FC: “We are not here to make profit or take advantage: we want to carry out a project. We are both passionate about football, but it is also very important that there is a financial balance: it is essential for the club to be self-sufficient".

Finally, he spoke about the youth sector and about the aim to broaden the Cavalluccio’s horizons: “We have already made contact with fellow Americans interested in helping us achieve our goals in this new adventure. The youth sector? I have first-hand experience with Milan AC, due to my past collaboration in organising camps in New York City, and I am determined to bring this type of experience here too. You will see that we regard the youth academy very highly”.