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Soros reportedly ends Roma takeover bid

According to reports in Italy, American businessman George Soros has told AS Roma that he has dropped all plans to take over the club.

The Italian press has been full of reports this year that Roma will be sold to new owners due to the fact that the club's parent company, Italpetroli, possesses debts in the region of $570 million.

Many of the groups linked with a takeover have all been led by American businessmen. The name most associated has been that of the 78-year-old billionaire.

Soros' apparent attempt to buy Roma has become something of a soap opera, with claims and counter-claims from both sides about whether the deal was ever going to go through.

Last Monday, the Gazzetta Dello Sport reported Soros was 24 hours away from buying Roma, and was offering $438 million, including $339 million for the family's 66 percent stake in the club.

However, the next day Il Romanista claimed that Soros had pulled the plug on all plans to buy Roma.

A new story then broke which stated that New York criminal defense lawyer Joseph Tacopina, backed financially by Soros, was himself 24 hours away from purchasing the club.

This never materialized, and the confusion is still ongoing. However, the latest reports are adamant that Soros has definitely pulled out of any plans to buy the club, and will play no part in any possible buyout.