Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has taken back the position of president of AC Milan.

Berlusconi gave up the presidency in December 2004 to avoid a conflict of interests and became free to take up the role again after his defeat in Italy's general election in April.

The Serie A club's website hailed the return of its "spiritual guide, its number one fan and its true president".

No one acted as Milan's president during Berlusconi's absence. Since Berlusconi bought it in 1986, Milan has enjoyed one of the most successful periods in its history, winning seven Serie A titles and becoming European champions four times.

"It's great news for our fans. There was a blank space in the organisation chart," the club's vice-president Adriano Galliani was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport today.

"The great players come and go. The real plus is him."

His return coincides with troubled times for the club, which has failed to win a trophy in the past two seasons and - along with Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio - is under investigation as part of an Italian Football Federation (FIGC) probe into  allegations of match-fixing in Serie A.

Galliani is among the high-profile figures from Italian football to be questioned by magistrates.

Last month Milan denied accusations of wrongdoing after a newspaper published phone taps in which Leonardo Meani - a member of the club's management - spoke to the official in charge of assigning linesmen to top games in April 2005 to complain about a linesman after Milan lost to Siena.

Clubs found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of matches face penalties including relegation and having points deducted at the start of next season.

Italian soccer commissioner, Guido Rossi, said yesterday that he expected the FIGC investigation to be completed at the start of next week.