Valerio Antonini

Valerio Antonini (17 May 1975) is a global agricultural commodities trader[1] and the owner of Sicilian-based football team FC Trapani 1905 and basketball team Trapani Shark.[2] He is the CEO of agricultural commodities trader Quanton Commodities, operating out of Mayfair London, whose notable partners include Riccardo Orcel and Lord Benjamin Mancroft.[1]

Valerio Antonini
Valerio Antonini
BornMay 1975 (age 48)
Rome, Italy
Known forCEO of Quanton Commodities; owner of FC Trapani 1905; owner of Trapani Shark
Children3
Websitevalerioantonini.com

Antonini has recently become more involved in sporting affairs with a multi-million dollar purchase of the previously-known Pallacanestro Trapani, who under Antonini's ownership have undergone a significant brand change and accompanying financial growth winning the 2023 supercoppa LPN. The team is now known as Trapani Shark, part of Antonini's new multi-sport brand Italian media has cited him with creating.[2]

Antonini gained notability between 2015-2018 as a close associate of footballing legend, Diego Maradona. The two have been pictured together in many social occasions including the FIFA 2018 World Cup final and Maradona is the namesake for Antonini's son. The footballing legend was incredibly influential in the launching of Antonini's career by leveraging sales into otherwise hostile business climates in South and Central America through Maradona's vast network.[2]

Career

Quanton Commodities

Valerio Antonini is the CEO and founder of Quanton Commodities,[3] a global agricultural commodities trader specialising in grains, coffee and cocoa. The company, which has Benjamin Mancroft - a member of Britain's house of parliament with the current Conservative party - on its board, and Riccardo Orcel - a former VTB banker as its chairman - recorded turnover of 70 million pounds in 2021, according to regulatory filings, rising to $405 million in the first half of 2022.[1]

Frontier Market Trade

Recently Quanton has begun trading in emerging markets in the Horn of Africa and Iran. In Africa, a large importer of Ukrainian grain, Quanton is establishing a multi-million dollar grain storage facility to facilitate grain distribution across the Horn of Africa. In June 2022, following grain shortages imposed by Russia's war in Ukraine, Quanton sold 60,000 tonnes of German wheat to Iran's state-run buyer.[1][4]

Maradona Partnership

Prior to establishing Quanton Commodities in 2022, Antonini was head of commodities trading at Casillo Group, an Italian-based trader in durum wheat. Here, Antonini came into notability for forging business ties with the late footballing legend Diego Maradona.[1] Together, the pair negotiated lucrative trade deals with the left-wing governments of Fidel Castro's Cuba, Maduro's Venezuela and Ortega's Nicaragua.[2] Between 2015 and 2018 the pair signed at least 23 contracts with Venezuelan logistic company, Corpovex with their joint business venture amassing almost $1.5 billion in exchange of corn and other raw commodities[2][5]

Sports

Trapani FC and Trapani Shark

Antonini is the current owner of FC Trapani 1905, a Sicilian-based football team, and Sicilian-based basketball team Trapani Shark. Antonini made the purchase of the two clubs in April 2023 purchasing a 70% stake in the two clubs from the Basciano family to whom ownership previously resided. Following Antonini's purchase, Trapani completed a successful play-off run beating Locri FC 3-0 guaranteeing a promotion to Serie C, the third division of Italian football.[6] [7]

According to the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, Antonini purchased the teams for €1,240,000 (including debts already incurred by the club), €1,460,000 for renovations of the club and €250,000 to transfer the A2 title of the Stella Azzurra to Trapani which will now take the name Trapani Shark who recently won the 2023 Supercoppa LPN title. Antonini has now expressed an interest in creating a multi-sports brand under the Trapani name which, although not common in Italy, has been very successful with sporting teams abroad.[2]

On a Radio interview with Maracanà della Domenica, Antonini expressed his ambitions to return Trapani to the top flight of Italian football within the next four years. This affirmation has seen an ambitious renovations scheme to both the football and basketball arenas in Trapani which are intended to be open year round as 'sports hub' in Trapani. The teams growth strategy has recorded a sale of 3400 season ticket purchases across both clubs.[8]

References
  1. Barbaglia and Saul, Pamela and Jonathan. "Ex VTB executive Riccardo Orcel joins British agri trader Quanton as chairman". Reuters. Thomson-Reuters. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  2. Norrito, Massimo. "Valerio Antonini: "Ero socio di Maradona ora porto Trapani in A"". La Repubblica. La Repubblica. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  3. Khan, Yusuf. "Grain Prices Rise as Turkish Runoff Election Complicates Black Sea Deal Extension". Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. Hertenstein, Anna. "Why Russia Killed the Ukraine Grain Deal". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  5. Deniz, Roberto. "El gol de oro de un amigo de Maradona en Venezuela". Armando Info. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  6. Spano, Laura. "Trapani football passes to Valerio Antonini: he will also acquire the basketball club". Giornale Di Sicilia. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  7. Di Trapani, SImone. "Valerio Antonini interested in taking over Trapani". Trapani Post. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  8. Editorial Team. "Trapani, Antonini: "I'll bring the Granata to Serie A within 4 years"". ItaSportsPress.IT. Italian Sorts Press. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
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