Rap star Drake invests in near-bankrupt Italian soccer club, NOCTA brand will sponsor jerseys

Venezia was on the brink of bankruptcy despite being at the top of the Italian second tier, Serie B, during the 2023-24 season.

According to GQ Italia, after a desperate phone call to the Canadian rap star's chief brand officer and two weeks of negotiations a deal was struck to keep the team afloat.

Not long after, the Venice-based team - which features American players Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann - completed a near-miraculous playoff run to win promotion back to the top tier of Italian soccer, Serie A.

Now entering the 2024-25 season with the likes of giants Juventus, Inter and AC Milan, Venezia will enter Serie A with fresh threads from a celebrity known for his eclectic fashion sense. 

The new jerseys have not been released yet but are expected to be available in September per ESPN.

Until then, Venezia will continue to wear unbranded, team-made kits for the start of the season as it already terminated its contract with previous jersey manufacturer Kappa.