MILAN - Serie A President Paolo Dal Pino has tested positive for COVID-19, Italy's top flight soccer league said in a statement on Tuesday, days before an Oct 9 meeting to assess bids by private equity funds for a stake in its media business.

Paolo Dal Pino was appointed at the helm of Serie A in Jan, shortly before the pandemic brought the championship to a three-month standstill

A former telecoms executive, Dal Pino was appointed at the helm of Serie A in January, shortly before the COVID-19 outbreak brought the championship to a three-month standstill.

As closed-door matches and broadcasters cutting off money from deals keep club finances under pressure, Dal Pino has been promoting a project to sell a minority stake in the newly-created media company which manages the league’s main source of revenue.

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Two private equity consortia, led by CVC Partners and Bain Capital, are bidding for a stake in the venture offering up to 1.6 billion euros (US$1.89 billion). Serie A's club representatives are expected to hold a meeting on Friday to pick the preferred bidder.

The meeting remains scheduled for Friday despite Dal Pino being in self-isolation with symptoms, a source close to the matter said.