Silvio Berlusconi Reportedly Agrees to AC Milan Sale to Chinese Consortium

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has reportedly agreed to sell 75 per cent of the Rossoneri shares to a Chinese consortium.

Aska News (h/t GianlucaDiMarzio.com) claims the former Italian prime minister has confirmed the sale to a group from China who are “strongly supported by the government” for an operation said to be worth €1.5 billion.

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According to the original source (h/t football-italia.net), it is said that Berlusconi has revealed privately that, “the sale of 75 per cent of Milan is a done deal.”

The takeover would apparently see the current owner’s daughter, Barbara, retain her role as CEO, but it is unconfirmed whether Adriano Galliani—who she currently shares the position with—will continue in the same capacity.

However, it’s noted in both aforementioned pieces that there are apparently still some details to finalise, which could yet take a few months.

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Milan are the most popular club in China, according to football-italia.net, and, while the name of the company behind this apparent deal has yet to be mentioned, it is noted that the country is looking at promoting the sport and subsequently establishing their national team as one of the leading sides in the game.

The Rossoneri have fallen on hard times as of late, with a flurry of players and managers failing to make the grade at the San Siro since the retirement and departure of some iconic figures. At the time of writing, the seven-time European Cup winners are languishing down in eighth place in the Serie A table, 29 points behind leaders Juventus.

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The club’s supporters have become increasingly disillusioned with the manner in which the club has been run as of late too. As noted by Eurosport, the team’s Curva Sud fan group boycotted Milan’s recent match against Cagliari, calling for “clarity” from the board in a subsequent statement.