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MILAN

Berlusconi cools AC Milan takeover talk

AC Milan owner and president Silvio Berlusconi has admitted he has no "desire" or "need" to sell the fallen Serie A giants despite recent reports claiming the club would soon be in Asian hands.

Berlusconi cools AC Milan takeover talk
AC Milan owner and president Silvio Berlusconi has admitted he has no "desire" or "need" to sell AC Milan. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

Berlusconi admitted in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday he has been in talks with Chinese Head of State Xi Jinping about possible investment from the country in the seven-time European champions.

But two weeks after it was announced a majority stake in the club would soon be sold to Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol, Berlusconi continues to keep fans guessing as to his intentions for the once mighty Rossoneri.

The former two-time Italian prime minister conceded the arrival in the sport of wealthy investors from oil-producing nations such as Qatar had compounded his fight to keep Milan, one of the world's top clubs, on a level playing field with their European rivals.

But despite Milan's recent fall from grace that is likely to see them once again miss out on European football next season, his plans to sell the club he steered to unprecedented success in Europe during their 1990s heyday appear to have cooled.

“Right now I don't know how the situation could develop,” Berlusconi told the Italian sports daily when asked about recent negotiations with investors from China.

“Beyond the rapport we created in political terms, Xi (Jinping) has shown the utmost respect for Italian football.

“But let's be clear: I have no desire, intention or need to sell Milan.

“Although it is true that since the arrival of petrodollars and investors from Qatar, it has become very difficult for family-run clubs to support such an economic burden.”

A fortnight ago Berlusconi was said to be on the verge of selling a 51 percent stake in the club to Bee, the executive director of a south-east Asian private equity group, for an estimated €500 million ($550 million).

That deal appears to have been put to one side, at least temporarily, but Berlusconi hinted his search for potential partners who could bring significant investment without him being forced to give up a majority stake is still ongoing.

He added: “If my family can't resolve the club's problems on its own, then I will have to to find investors capable of contributing to the relaunch of Milan.

“If we can't find buyers, it's up to me to try and relaunch the club. If we do bring in new investors who want me to remain in my role, then I will collaborate with those who do come in to help take Milan back to the position we deserve to be in.”

Milan's city rivals Inter are already in the hands of Asian owners, Indonesian tycoon Erick Thohir having bought a 70 percent stake in the Serie A giants in November 2013.

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MILAN

Romanian billionaire and seven others die in Milan plane crash

A light aircraft piloted by Romanian billionaire Dan Petrescu crashed into an empty office building near Milan on Sunday, killing him, his wife and son, and all five others aboard.

Police and rescue teams outside the office building where a small plane crashed in the Milan suburb of San Donato.
Police and rescue teams outside the office building where a small plane crashed in the Milan suburb of San Donato on October 3rd. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

The single-engine Pilatus PC-12 had taken off from Milan’s Linate airport shortly after 1pm headed for Olbia in the north of the Italian island of Sardinia.

It crashed just a few minutes later into a building in San Donato Milanese, a town southeast of Milan, according to aviation agency ANSV, which has opened an investigation.

Witnesses said the plane was already in flames before it crashed into an office building undergoing renovations.

Petrescu’s 65-year-old wife, who also had French nationality, and their son Dan Stefano, 30, were killed.

Italian media identified the other passengers as entrepreneur Filippo Nascimbene, a 33-year-old from Lombardy, with his wife, young son and mother-in-law, who have French nationality.

Petrescu, 68, was one of Romania’s richest men. He headed a major construction firm and owned a string of hypermarkets and malls. He also held Germany nationality, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported.

Flames engulfed the two-storey building, next to the yellow line subway terminus.

“The impact was devastating,” Carlo Cardinali, of the Milan fire brigade, told news agency Ansa.

Deputy prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano was quoted by Corriere as saying that the plane’s black box had been recovered.

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