MILAN (REUTERS) - Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been hospitalised in Milan, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday (Jan 23), a day after he decided against running for president.

Mr Berlusconi, 85, was admitted to hospital for routine medical checks, ANSA news agency reported.

It was not immediately clear when he was hospitalised. A spokesperson for Mr Berlusconi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Saturday, Mr Berlusconi decided against running for president ahead of a parliamentary vote beginning on Monday.

The rightist coalition asked Mr Berlusconi to run, but his bid was unlikely to be successful due to difficulties in mustering the broad support traditionally needed among the more than 1,000 lawmakers and regional delegates involved.

The four times prime minister underwent major heart surgery in 2016 and has survived prostate cancer. He was repeatedly admitted to hospital over the past year after contracting the new coronavirus in 2020.