Soccer-Serie A sides mull investment after Euro failures

By Mark Meadows

MILAN, April 10 (Reuters) - Italian sides are looking to invest in a bid to compete with the mega-rich Premier League after no Serie A side made the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2004.

AS Roma's quarter-final defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday ended the Italian challenge with England again having three teams in the last four.

Last year AC Milan beat United before overcoming Liverpool in the final to show Serie A was still a force, but now Italian clubs knows they are fighting a losing battle unless they can spend big.

Fresh investment is certainly on the cards. Media reports have long linked Roma with a possible takeover and the latest speculation suggests billionaire financier George Soros is close to buying the club.

Roma's controlling family, the Sensis, have previously denied they were looking to sell but the chance to reinvigorate a promising Roma side may be too tempting.

"Manchester is a really great team, but soon Roma will be at this level," Daniele De Rossi told reporters after missing a penalty in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat, which gave United a 3-0 aggregate win.

INCREASING AGE

Juventus, hoping to return to the Champions League next season, have long been backed by Fiat money but that has begun to dry up.