Updated

VENICE, Italy (AP) New York lawyer Joe Tacopina is leading a group of investors who have purchased Venice's fourth-division soccer club.

Tacopina and fellow American investors John Goldman and John Tapinis announced the purchase of Venezia FC on Friday.

Tacopina tells The Associated Press that the operation cost about 6 million euros ($6.7 million).

The moves comes less than 20 days after Tacopina resigned as president of Serie A club Bologna following 11 months in charge because of a rift with Canadian investor Joey Saputo.

Tacopina was also formerly on the board of directors at Roma, which in 2011 became the first foreign-owned club in Serie A.

Venezia's last appearance in Serie A came in 2001-02. The team's biggest title was the 1941 Italian Cup.