Silvio Berlusconi wants AC Milan to bought be an Italian

 Silvio Berlusconi has come under fire in recent time for failing to invest in the squad

 

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Friday he had been trying to sell his Serie A soccer team AC Milan for the past year and would prefer to find a domestic buyer.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters at the end of April that a Chinese consortium had offered to buy AC Milan valuing the team at around 700 million euros including debt.

"To those who tell me a sale is necessary, I say that I've been trying to do that for a year, but I'd like to leave Milan in good hands ... preferably Italian ones," Berlusconi said in video published on his Facebook page.

"Any suggestion is welcome," he added.

AC Milan, seven times European champions, has been a central part of Berlusconi's media and political empire since he became president of the club 29 years ago.

But the club has lost some of its shine in recent years, racking up debts. It won the most recent of its 18 Serie A championships in 2011.