Di Stefano claims 'minor' interest

Controversial legal figure Giovanni di Stefano has said his potential investment in Shelbourne football club is not a takeover…

Controversial legal figure Giovanni di Stefano has said his potential investment in Shelbourne football club is not a takeover.

Speaking to The Irish Times from Rome, Di Stefano, who is known as the "devil's advocate" and has advised Saddam Hussein and former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, said his involvement with the Drumcondra club would be "minor" and in the form of a "participation agreement".

He also said there was another unnamed Irish club he had considered investing in.

"There were two clubs in Ireland. One, a smaller club south of Dublin, wanted a complete takeover for smaller money, but I wasn't interested in that."

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Shelbourne chief executive Ollie Byrne yesterday confirmed the club had received a preliminary approach from the Italian-born legal adviser who also represents Patrick "Dutchy" Holland, the man named in court as having shot journalist Veronica Guerin.

"Ollie Byrne has had this club in his family for generations and I can assure you that his association with Shelbourne will remain as strong as ever," Di Stefano said.

"This will remain his club, not mine, as I'm not experienced in this game."

Byrne said: "We know very little about him and out of courtesy we have accepted an invitation to meet with him. We will approach the meeting (in Dublin on Monday) with open minds and listen to what he has to say."

Di Stefano approached Byrne following the club's recent tax problems.

"The club had tax issues which are cleared now and I saw an opportunity to help.

"I see this a minimal risk investment where I can freely spend half a million euro or a million euro," Di Stefano said.

"I know I can bring a certain class of player to the club and open it to Champions League football each year.

"We could build the player base, and in time it could become better than the national team."

Shelbourne supporters have greeted the news with caution.

It is not the first time Di Stefano has turned his hand to football. In 1999 he approached Scottish side Dundee with a view to taking over, but a deal fell through.

Subsequent attempts to gain controlling interests in Norwich City and Northampton Town also ended in failure.

Di Stefano renewed his interest in Dundee in August 2003 offering to invest £26 million to save the club, but his position as a director was never officially ratified by the Scottish Football Association.

In November 2003, Dundee was placed in administration with huge debts nearing £20 million. Di Stefano, having fallen out with majority shareholders Peter and Jimmy Marr, resigned two months later.

The club argued that Di Stefano failed to arrange the funding he had promised, but he strongly refutes this. He claims he wanted to buy the club for a nominal fee and take over the debts, but the Marrs, who are still Dundee board members, were not convinced Di Stefano had the required funds in place.

"It wasn't my fault what happened at Dundee," says Di Stefano. "I was told there was x amount of debt, and it ended up being way more than that. To put it simply, it was like marrying a virgin and then finding out she had eight kids."

Of his high-profile, controversial, client list he has said in the past: "I deal with people who are alleged to have committed serious criminal offences. I do not defend Snow White unless she is charged with the seven perverts."