Roma approached regarding takeover
Reuters - Friday 05 November 2010, 19:25
MILAN - AS Roma said it has been
approached by suitors interested in taking over a controlling
stake in the Italian football club.
Creditor bank UniCredit has been working with
owner Italpetroli for months in an effort to put the club up
for sale and wipe out large debts. It kicked off the sale in
September, sending the shares to their highest in more than a
year.
"With regards to press reports concerning the sale
procedure of the controlling stake in AS Roma, Compagnia
Italcementi informs that it has received... non-binding
offers, currently under scrutiny by the company and its
adviser," AS Roma said in a statement late on Friday.
Italian group Italpetroli holds a controlling stake in AS
Roma, but creditor UniCredit de facto controls the group.
Russian media had reported in September that LUKOIL
Vice President Leonid Fedun, was interested in
purchasing a controlling stake, but LUKOIL had no comment.
Italian media have listed several other interested
parties.
Roma shares closed down 2.54 percent at 1.19 euros on
Friday.
Roma has been the subject of continual takeover talk, with
Italpetroli struggling to deal with arrears.
Creditors have been trying to force a sale for three years,
but bids from billionaire financier George Soros and a Swiss
consortium never came to fruition.
Italian pharmaceutical magnate Francesco Angelini has never
put forward concrete plans for a bid after saying he wanted to
buy a majority stake in the club.