UPDATE 1-Generali head says 2009 goal tough, no big buys

(Adds background, details and fresh quotes)

PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - Italy's top insurer Assicurazioni Generali (GASI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) will face a tougher time meeting its 2009 net profit target due to the turmoil in the markets, Chairman Antoine Bernheim said in an interview.

The group is aiming for net profit of 3.8 billion euros ($6.01 billion) in 2009 but the goal has become more difficult, Bernheim told French business daily La Tribune in an interview from Monday's edition released ahead of publication on Sunday.

"This objective was formulated before the financial crisis," he said. "I think that given the crisis, the target has become even more ambitious."

Bernheim said the insurance sector overall faced a "bad first quarter" because of the fall in stock markets but he appeared less worried about results in his own group.

"I don't know the figures for Generali yet but the consequences won't be enormous," he said, noting that Generali had not got into the subprime mortgage market and had only marginal exposure to derivative products.

He said Generali was considering taking a small investment in Norway or Sweden and wanted to build up its position in Brazil but he said that, despite a temptation to take advantage of the weak dollar, a larger acquisition was less likely.

"A lot of people think that Generali should do a very big deal. But we have to find a target and certainly proceed with a capital increase," he said.

"Although it's probable that the market value of some insurance companies has gone down very markedly, it's certain that financing has become more difficult," he said.