Tiscali CEO says not opposed to break-up

By Stefano Rebaudo

MILAN (Reuters) - Tiscali's chief executive (TIS.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday he was not opposed to breaking up the Italian broadband operator as the company reviewed a number of bids for part or all of its activities.

"We are not against a break-up," Mario Rosso told analysts on a conference call. "We are open to all solutions."

Tiscali has received a number of offers and Chief Executive Mario Rosso is to begin negotiating with a shortlist of the best bidders.

He did not disclose the number of bids received nor the names of those who submitted them.

A financial source told Reuters the contenders included Vodafone (VOD.L: Quote, Profile, Research), BSkyB (BSY.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Swisscom's (SCMN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) Fastweb (FWB.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) and Wind, an Italian mobile phone operator.

Another source close to the sale told Reuters Carphone Warehouse (CPW.L: Quote, Profile, Research) was not on the list. It declined comment.

Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) has said it had not made an offer but was still monitoring the situation.

Rosso said he was satisfied with the way the sale was going, adding that he expected the bids to meet expectations.