Forged Document Used in Soccer Team Purchase, Bank Says

(Beijing) — The Chinese group that bought Italian soccer team AC Milan for 740 million euros ($825 million) used a forged Bank of Dongguan document that promised financial support for the deal, the bank said today.

In August, a consortium led by little-known Sino-Europe Sports Investment Management Changxing Co. Ltd. bought 99.93 percent of AC Milan from Fininvest, a privately owned company controlled by former Italian Prime Minister and billionaire businessman Silvio Berlusconi.