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Michael Essien's wife has bought a third division Italian football club at an auction.

Akosua Puni Essien, who is married to the former AC Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder, bought Como for £206,000 (€237,000).

The price does not include the training centre or the Calcio Como brand, and the team will now be known as FC Como. A club statement says Puni Essien will return to Como soon and that she is 'honoured to be part of a club which has 110 years of history.'

According to reports, she bought the club at a bankruptcy auction held by FC Como Limited.

Como were relegated from Serie B last season. They are currently in seventh place and on course for the promotion playoffs. 

The Italian club plied their trade in the Serie A in the 2002-03 season but this was followed by three consecutive relegations. Then things got a whole lot worse as the club was declared bankrupted late on in 2004.
However, thanks to FIGC regulation, a new entity was allowed to admit into the 2005-06 Serie D. 

Meanwhile ex-Ghana international Essien has recently joined Indonesian side Persib Bandung. 

Indonesian media reported on Tuesday that Essien has signed a one-year deal at the start of the new league season with an option to extend for one more.