Malaysian prince denies taking over AC Milan

A Malaysian royal family member has denied that he was buying AC Milan despite earlier report on his interest in the seven-time European football champions.

In a post on social network, Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim of Malaysia's southern Johor state on Monday clarified in an interview with the Strait Times of Singapore that owning the Rossoneri was merely his dream, reports Xinhua.

"I was also asked if I have any interest in buying a foreign club. My exact answer was yes. If I have to pick a club, it would have to be Milan. That's one of my dreams," he said in the post.

"But it doesn't mean I'm going to buy it. It's just a club that I've adored since I was young. That's all. So, to answer any speculations, the answer is 'No'. I'm not buying Milan."

In the interview published during the weekend, Tunku Ismail was quoted as saying that he was "planning to buy" the 18-time Serie A champions and was in the "research and discussion" stage.

Tunku Ismail is the chairman of Malaysian club Johor Darul Takzim (JDT). Since he took over as chairman in 2012, the club has won two consecutive Malaysian Super League titles in 2014 and 2015.

Last year, it became the first Southeast Asian club to win the AFC Cup, Asia's second-tier club competition.

Milan are one of the most successful football clubs in Europe under former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. However, the Rossoneri have been struggling in recent years, amid reports suggested the Berlusconi was in talks to sell the club.

--IANS

pur/vt