Fabrizio Viola told reporters the bank did not have any suitors for now.

The ECB wants "defined steps over time, without an excessive uncertainty" over the timeframe of a merger, Viola said.

"We have said we want to get engaged. Right now we are still single," he said, adding there were no suitors for the time being.

(Reporting by Silvia Aloisi)

Valeurs citées dans l'article : Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, THE BANK