:Massimo Zanetti

File:Massimo Zanetti 1994.jpg

Massimo Zanetti was born in Treviso in 1948. During 1970s, he moved to Bologna where he acquired the local company Segafredo, a historic coffee producer with a fairly well known brand.[http://www.lastampa.it/2014/03/31/economia/zanetti-segafredo-il-caff-di-obama-e-degli-atleti-LG0JAXjwVjYxYVJe2amhoO/pagina.html Zanetti: "Segafredo è il caffè di Obama e degli atelti] Zanetti gave impulse and new vitality to the company, to which he added its own brand "Segafredo Zanetti", opening it to international markets, diversifying it with the creation of a worldwide network, making it, in a few years, one of the top coffee producers in the world.[http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1989/06/09/il-filosofo-del-caffe.html Il filosofo del caffè] The holding company, Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group (MZB), coordinates the group's activities and invests about 1,200 million dollars.[http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1988/05/20/nella-tazzina-miscela-di-miliardi.html Nella tazzina una miscela di miliardi] The Segafredo headquarter is based in Pianoro, in the Bologna hinterland.[http://www.segafredo.it/it/azienda/dove-siamo/dove-siamo.html Segafredo – Dove siamo]

In the 1994 general election, he was elected Senator for Forza Italia, the liberal conservative party founded by the media magnate Silvio Berlusconi. The legislature ended in 1996, after the fall of Berlusconi's government in 1995 and the short-lived technocratic cabinet of Lamberto Dini.{{cite web |url=http://www.forza-italia.it/notizie/int_2817.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313005130/http://www.forza-italia.it/notizie/int_2817.htm |archivedate=13 March 2007 |title=The First Seven Years Of Forza Italia}} Zanetti decided not to run for a second term in the 1996 general election.

In the 2013 local elections, Zanetti ran for mayor of Treviso, supported by Civic Choice, a liberal and centrist party of former Prime Minister Mario Monti, getting 10.57% and arriving third, not accessing the ballot.[https://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/veneto/notizie/politica/2013/31-maggio-2013/gentilini-zanetti-fatta-re-caffe-sara-vice-2221417945659_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&cat=1&cid=B1wxrw_e&pids=FR&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fcorrieredelveneto.corriere.it%2Fveneto%2Fnotizie%2Fpolitica%2F2013%2F31-maggio-2013%2Fgentilini-zanetti-fatta-re-caffe-sara-vice-2221417945659.shtml Gentilini-Zanetti è fatta, il re del caffè sarà vice] After a first attempt to agree with the center-right candidate Giancarlo Gentilini, he decided not to give voting instructions to his voters.[https://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/veneto/notizie/politica/2013/31-maggio-2013/salta-accordo-gentilini-zanetti-re-caffe-decidano-elettori-2221429750557_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&cat=1&cid=1yf8fAti&pids=FR&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fcorrieredelveneto.corriere.it%2Fveneto%2Fnotizie%2Fpolitica%2F2013%2F31-maggio-2013%2Fsalta-accordo-gentilini-zanetti-re-caffe-decidano-elettori-2221429750557.shtml Salta l'accordo tra Gentilini e Zanetti. Il re del caffè: "Decidano gli elettori"]

The Segafredo brand appeared as the main sponsor on the jerseys of Bologna F.C. between 1986 and 1989, on those of Gorizia Basketball between 1984 and 1988 and on those of A.C.D. Treviso in different years between 1986 and 2006.

On 23 December 2010, after a long and troubled negotiation lasting about a month, the Bologna 2010 entrepreneurial group, led by Giovanni Consorte, bought 100% of the Bologna football team from Sergio Porcedda and Francesca Menarini. At the same time, Zanetti assumed the position of president. The office of honorary president, not operative, was held by the popular singer Gianni Morandi.[https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Bologna/19-12-2010/bologna-zanetti-consorte-712202856720.shtml Il Bologna a Zanetti e Consorte]

On 21 January 2011, Zanetti unexpectedly resigned as chairman of Bologna and as a director of the holding company due to contrasts with the other shareholders. After his resignation, Zanetti still remained the relative majority shareholder of the club. In March 2011, the entrepreneur and former president Alfredo Cazzola tried to take over the shares of Zanetti, but the negotiations were not successful, so Zanetti remained a shareholder, although no longer intending to participate in the club's life.[https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2011/03/25/cazzola-ieri-traditore-oggi-eroe-i-misteri-del-bologna-calcio/100052/ Cazzola, da traditore a eroe. I misteri del Bologna calcio]

However, on 25 September 2014, he announced his willingness to become the majority shareholder again. The negotiations that would have provided for the acquisition of 51% of the club's shares and the return of Zanetti as president of the club failed in October 2014, when the club was bought by the Canadian entrepreneur Joey Saputo.[http://www.bolognanews.net/rassegna-stampa/cor-sport-zanetti-deluso-da-morandi-sento-che-saputo-si-e-un-po-stufato-13581 Zanetti: "Deluso da Morandi, sento che Saputo si è un po' stufato]

In 2016, Segafredo entered Trek–Segafredo, a professional road bicycle racing team, which signed, among others Alberto Contador, John Degenkolb, Ivan Basso and Ryder Hesjedal.

In 2016, Segafredo Zanetti became the main sponsor of Virtus Bologna, the main basketball team in the town and one of the most successful ones in Italy and Europe.[http://bologna.repubblica.it/sport/2016/10/08/news/zanetti_fra_calcio_e_basket-149337447/ Zanetti fra calcio e basket: "Virtus, tornerai in alto. Bologna, per fortuna c'è Joey"], la Repubblica On 23 March 2017, he participated in the capital increase of the club, with 47% of shares, becoming de facto the club's owner.[https://corrieredibologna.corriere.it/bologna/notizie/basket_city/2017/21-gennaio-2017/zanetti-conquista-virtus-primo-socio-il-40percento-2401223782379_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&cat=1&cid=Vm6cYZGF&pids=FR&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fcorrieredibologna.corriere.it%2Fbologna%2Fnotizie%2Fbasket_city%2F2017%2F21-gennaio-2017%2Fzanetti-conquista-virtus-primo-socio-il-40percento-2401223782379.shtml Zanetti conquista la Virtus], Corriere di Bologna Under Zanetti's ownership, on 5 May 2019, Virtus won its fifth European title, the Basketball Champions League in Antwerp,[https://sport.sky.it/basket/2019/04/04/virtus-bologna-qualificata-final-4-champions-league.html Basket, Champions League: Virtus Bologna qualificata alle Final Four], Sky Sport defeating Iberostar Tenerife 73–61. The BCL was the team's first European title after ten years.[https://sport.sky.it/basket/2019/05/05/virtus-bologna-tenerife-champions-league-finale-risultato.html La Virtus Bologna conquista la Champions League: Tenerife ko in finale 73-61], Sky Sport In June 2021, after having knocked out 3–0 both Basket Treviso in the quarterfinals and New Basket Brindisi in the semifinals, Virtus defeated 4–0 its historic rival Olimpia Milano in the national finals, winning its 16th national title and the first one after twenty years.[https://www.gazzetta.it/Basket/SerieA/11-06-2021/basket-finale-scudetto-bologna-virtus-milano-olimpia-gara-4-4101900719362.shtml Virtus, sei magnifica! Bologna, scudetto dopo 20 anni, Milano schiacciata 4-0], Gazzetta dello Sport

On 28 October 2021, Zanetti was elected president of Virtus, succeeding Giuseppe Sermasi as the head of the club, and became the only shareholder after a €2 million capital increase.[https://sportando.basketball/assemblea-soci-virtus-zanetti-presidente-baraldi-ceo-sermasi-e-gualandi-consiglieri/ Assemblea Soci Virtus: Zanetti presidente, Baraldi CEO, Sermasi e Gualandi Consiglieri], Sportando[https://sportando.basketball/virtus-segafredo-bologna-lanciato-un-aumento-di-capitale-da-2-milioni-di-euro/ Virtus Segafredo Bologna, lanciato un aumento di capitale da 2 milioni di euro], Sportando After having ousted Lietkabelis, Ulm and Valencia in the first three rounds of the playoffs, on 11 May 2022, Virtus defeated Frutti Extra Bursaspor by 80–67 at the Segafredo Arena, winning its first EuroCup and qualifying for the EuroLeague after 14 years.{{cite web |title=Game Night: Virtus is the 7DAYS EuroCup champion and headed back to the EuroLeague! |url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/news/game-night-a-new-7days-eurocup-champ-is-crowned-tonight/?pageTitle=Homepage&historyUrl=/eurocup/|website=euroleaguebasketball.net |date=11 May 2022}} In January 2025, following disputes regarding the club's management, Zanetti removed his long-time associate Luca Baraldi as CEO of Virtus, ending his 6 years-long tenure.

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Category:1948 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Treviso

Category:Forza Italia politicians

Category:Civic Choice politicians

Category:Businesspeople in coffee