Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to four years in prison and will be forced to pay part of a €10m fine for tax evasion.

The verdict was delivered by a Milan court on Friday afternoon – six years after the trial which looked at the activity of his Mediaset TV company – originally began.

Legal cases in Italy must pass two levels of appeal before any verdict is made final. The statue of limitations rule on this case expires in 2013.

Berlusconi is expected to appeal.

Milan President Silvio Berlusconi admits the club “needs to be looked after at the moment.”

The patron hit the headlines this week when he was sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud, but it was reduced to one year due to a legal loophole and he won’t actually have to serve any time until the lengthy appeals process has concluded.

“I wanted to dedicate myself to a football club that needs to be looked after at the moment,” he said in a Press conference.

“As you know, aside from politics I also deal with the Luigi Berlusconi Foundation, whose mission it is to build hospitals for children around the world.

“I will have to spread my attention around all these different directions, because I intend to dedicate most of my time to my country and continuing the process of modernisation and change.”

Some of Berlusconi’s recent legal problems have seen him hit with huge fines, which some suggest is the reason Milan have had to tighten their belts recently.

This week former Prime Minister Berlusconi also announced that he would not be running for office again.

Berlusconi: "I can't take care of Milan anymore. My aim is to continue the process of modernization and changing of this country. Besides politics, you know my other obligations. I have the Luigi Berlusconi Foundation, which aims at building hospitals for children around the world. I wanted to dedicate more time to the Università della Libertà, and my third obligation is a football club that needs particular care at the moment. However, I cannot dedicate any more time to any of these three things, because I want to devote the maximum of my time to politics".

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Well, there you have it. If anyone didn't believe that Silvio doesn't care about Milan anymore, you've got the confirmation from the big man himself. Thoughts?

I have a slightly different translation from football-italia.

Well, Football Italia are the most conservative of Serie A news sites. You'd expect them to tone it down.

So he won't be running for office but still wants to devote himself in politics??!!?

I can't wait to see the back of that disgusting mafioso, too bad there's a dynasty waiting to take over.

Well, this cancer made a big part of the clubs legacy. I wouldn't be so harsh on him.

Kurt: I reckon his kids don't really want any part of Milan...well except for Barbara.

Then when pops snuffs it maybe they'll sell? Are there any rich Milanese that've shown interest in buying the club? I'd like it to still be locally owned.

Well, this cancer made a big part of the clubs legacy. I wouldn't be so harsh on him.

He's a disgusting person. He just did what any rich guy could, and now does. He just doesn't get as much stick for it because he did it before it was seen as unacceptable.

Maybe. But to me he's the symbol of the ambiguous Italian morality of the past century. There's something special and uniquely negative/positive about it.

Yeah, for a 75 years old man having orgies with underaged girls is very special indeed.

Maybe. But to me he's the symbol of the ambiguous Italian morality of the past century. There's something special and uniquely negative/positive about it.

Indeed there's something special about that when every thing is going fine (the club is thriving financially, winning titles, dominating world football... etc. - long time ago!) but now, it reminds me of one those Mafia tales where everything starts to fall apart in the end.

But do you know it was thanks to him that we won so much? And if not for FFP we wouldn't be in this mess?

Oh man, I haven't met or seen anyone so devoted into defending his club's president like you do. Especially when that president is called Silvio Berlusconi.

Yeah, for a 75 years old man having orgies with underaged girls is very special indeed.

Indeed there's something special about that when every thing is going fine (the club is thriving financially, winning titles, dominating world football... etc. - long time ago!) but now, it reminds me of one those Mafia tales where everything starts to fall apart in the end.

Oh man, I haven't met or seen anyone so devoted into defending his club's president like you do. Especially when that president is called Silvio Berlusconi.

But the same can be said for almost everything regarding Italy. From clubs to referees, everything has a small portion of mafioso-style.

So, what how you guys think will this affect Milan?