AC Milan buyers told to identify stakeholders

The Chinese consortium that agreed to buy AC Milan, the Serie A soccer club, from former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, has been warned by the head of the local anti-Mafi a commission that it must reveal the names of all new owners.

David Gentili, leader of the city council's commission that investigates organized crime, said the full list of owners from the Sino-Europe Sports group must be published.

Sino-Europe, which includes Haixia Capital and Chinese entrepreneur Li Yonghong, agreed in August to pay 628 million pounds ($783 million) for the club. The deal is due to be closed by early December.

As part of the agreement, the club's debt of 187 million pounds would be paid of .

Reuters, citing an unidentified source, reported that Sino-Europe was still finalizing the full list of its members.

Gentili said at a news conference on Wednesday that the city authorities, who own the San Siro Stadium where AC Milan and their rivals, Inter Milan, play, had a duty to ask about the identity of the club's new owners.

If a full list was not forthcoming, then the Bank of Italy's money-laundering unit would be informed, he said.

Both sides in the deal say the full list of the new owners will be published when the deal is closed next month.

Officials from the club and the buyers were not available for comment.