5 Shocking Facts About Mark Consuelos' Italian Soccer Team Investment (The 'Wrexham Of Italy')

Mark Consuelos's involvement in Italian soccer has become one of the most unexpected and compelling stories in sports ownership, moving far beyond a simple celebrity investment. As of the current 2024/2025 season, the actor, known for Riverdale and co-hosting Live with Kelly and Mark, is a co-owner of not one, but *two* Italian football clubs, with one team, Campobasso FC, being dubbed the "Wrexham of Italy" for its dramatic rise from the brink of collapse. The journey, which has been documented in an ESPN+ series, reveals a deep, personal commitment to reviving a historic club and its passionate, loyal fanbase.

This deep dive into Consuelos's Italian soccer ventures reveals the teams' current league status, the surprising connection between the two clubs, and the dramatic, real-life challenges of owning a European football team.

Mark Consuelos: Biography and Italian Soccer Portfolio

Mark Consuelos, alongside his wife, television host Kelly Ripa, has transitioned from Hollywood power couple to serious international sports investors. Their involvement is part of a growing trend of American celebrities investing in European football, but their story is unique due to the low-tier, high-risk nature of their primary investment.

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• Full Name: Mark Andrew Consuelos
• Date of Birth: March 30, 1971
• Place of Birth: Zaragoza, Spain
• Nationality: American (raised in Italy, Spain, and the United States)
• Spouse: Kelly Ripa (m. 1996)
• Children: Michael Joseph, Lola Grace, and Joaquin Antonio Consuelos
• Notable Acting Roles: Mateo Santos on All My Children, Hiram Lodge on Riverdale
• Current Role: Co-host of Live with Kelly and Mark
• Italian Soccer Investment: Minority co-owner of ASD Campobasso 1919 (Campobasso FC) and investor in Ascoli FC, through the investment firm North Sixth Group/Club Underdog.

1. Consuelos Co-Owns Two Italian Clubs, Both Now in Serie C

The most current and surprising fact about Consuelos's portfolio is the league status of his two Italian investments. While initially reported as an investor in Serie B side Ascoli FC and a co-owner of the lower-tier Campobasso FC, the landscape has shifted significantly for the 2024/2025 season.

• ASD Campobasso 1919 (Campobasso FC): This is the primary focus of his ownership. The club, based in the Molise region, was controversially excluded from the Italian third tier (Serie C) in 2021 due to financial irregularities. The new ownership group, led by Matt Rizzetta of North Sixth Group and backed by Consuelos and Ripa, took over a phoenix club and guided it through an incredible comeback. As of the 2024/2025 season, Campobasso FC has achieved promotion and is successfully competing in Serie C: Girone B (Group B).
• Ascoli FC: Consuelos and Ripa also invested in Ascoli FC in November 2022. Ascoli, a more established club from the Marche region, was relegated from Serie B at the end of the previous season. This means that for the current 2024/2025 season, both of the clubs Consuelos has invested in are now competing against each other in the same division: Serie C: Girone B.

This dual presence in the same league tier—Italy's third division—creates a unique and tense dynamic, pitting the 'passion project' club against the more established investment.

2. The 'Wrexham of Italy' Comparison is Based on a Dramatic Revival

The story of Campobasso FC is far more dramatic than a typical celebrity investment, drawing immediate comparisons to the highly publicized revival of Welsh club Wrexham AFC by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

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Campobasso FC, a club with a long history and a fiercely devoted fanbase known as the 'Lupi' (Wolves), faced total dissolution after being excluded from Serie C. The new ownership had to start the team from the fifth tier of Italian football, a level known as Eccellenza Molise. This journey was not just about winning games; it was about rebuilding the club's identity, infrastructure, and financial stability from scratch.

The rapid, successive promotions achieved by the new management—from the fifth tier back up to Serie C—is the reason for the 'Wrexham of Italy' moniker. It symbolizes a massive undertaking to restore a community's core identity through its beloved football team.

3. The Investment Was Driven by Family and a Passion for Football

Consuelos's connection to Italian football is not random. He spent part of his childhood in Italy, giving him a cultural affinity for the sport and the country. The investment was not merely a business decision but a passion project shared with his wife, Kelly Ripa, and their family.

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The couple's daughter, for instance, has been known to fly to Italy to watch the Campobasso FC matches, highlighting the family's genuine, hands-on interest in the club. This personal connection contrasts sharply with more detached, purely financial celebrity sports ownership models. The couple has openly discussed the emotional rollercoaster of watching the team compete, especially during crucial promotion and relegation battles.

The ownership group, North Sixth Group, positions itself as 'Club Underdog,' focusing on acquiring and developing undervalued sports assets in emerging markets. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the challenge of reviving a historic but struggling club like Campobasso FC.

4. The Entire Journey is Documented in an ESPN Docuseries

The intense, often chaotic, reality of owning a lower-tier Italian football club is the subject of the four-part ESPN Original Series, "Running with the Wolves."

The docuseries, which premiered in July, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the ownership group's efforts to navigate the complex world of Italian soccer. It captures everything from high-stakes transfer window negotiations to the nail-biting moments of a relegation fight, showcasing the pressure on Consuelos, Ripa, and Rizzetta.

The title itself, "Running with the Wolves," is a direct reference to the Campobasso FC nickname, the 'Lupi.' The series offers a raw, humorous, and dramatic look at the steep learning curve involved in transforming a club and the cultural differences they encounter in Molise.

5. The Goal is to Reach Serie A, Italy's Top Flight

While the immediate focus for the 2024/2025 season is stabilizing Campobasso FC in Serie C and managing the dual investment with Ascoli, the long-term vision is ambitious. The ultimate goal for the Campobasso project is to continue the climb through the Italian football pyramid and eventually reach Serie A, Italy's top-flight league.

Achieving promotion to Serie C was a monumental step, validating the ownership group's strategy and the 'Wrexham of Italy' narrative. However, the jump from Serie C (third tier) to Serie B (second tier) and then to Serie A is exponentially more challenging, requiring significant investment in player talent, infrastructure, and stadium facilities. Consuelos's continued public support and the exposure from the ESPN series are crucial elements in attracting the necessary capital and global attention to sustain this ambitious, long-term dream.