After much buzz, Johor crown prince says no money to buy AC Milan

KUALA LUMPUR — The crown prince of Johor Tunku Ismail Ibrahim extinguished media speculation on Sunday (April 24) that he may be buying Italian football giant AC Milan, saying he does not have the money to do so.

The Johor crown prince and chairman of the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) club was recently reported by The Straits Times to be interested in buying the Italian club, but has since clarified that he was only expressing a dream.

“My exact answer was yes. If I have to pick a club, it would have to be Milan. That’s one of my dreams.

“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,” he said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of his state football team nicknamed the Johor Southern Tigers.

“So to answer any speculations, the answer is No. I’m not buying Milan. I don’t have money to buy Milan,” he added.

Ismail said he is not rich like other Malaysian businessmen, but was just a young man with a dream and big ambitions.

“My club JDT can’t even beat Kedah and other Malaysian teams. I’m not going to take Milan having to go head on with Juventus and other Italian giants. I simply dare not. My club is only JDT. A small club with big ambitions,” the chairman of the Johor Darul Ta’zim football club said.

In an interview with The Straits Times published on Saturday, the crown prince said AC Milan would be the team he would buy if he can buy a European club and said the intended purchase is now at a “research and discussion” stage.

He suggested that JDT and AC Milan would work very closely if the deal goes through, but assured that the former would remain his focus.

Ismail is currently investing in a new RM15 million (S$5.2 million) training facility for JDT and a new 40,000 seat capacity stadium for the fans.

Currently Milan is subject of a €700 million (S$1.1 billion) bid from a Chinese consortium, and talks are ongoing for the seven-time European champion.

The club reportedly suffered losses amounting to €90 million last year, and has the third highest wage bill in Italy.

Businessman Dr Noordin Ahmad became the first Malaysian owning a majority stake in an Italian football club when he bought a 50 per cent stake in Serie B club FC Bari 1908 earlier this month.

Other Malaysian businessmen such as Tony Fernandes and Vincent Tan also own English clubs Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City respectively. THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE