Monte dei Paschi carried out a 5 billion euro (3.90 billion pounds) capital increase earlier this year to boost its chances of passing a Europe-wide stress test of lenders, but has not ruled out needing further capital once the results of the tests are made public next month.

Floored by poor management and inadequate supervision, it was the only Italian bank to request state aid after being hit hard by the euro zone's debt crisis and a subsequent scandal over loss-making derivatives trades.

A Goldman Sachs survey of large institutional investors carried out last month found Monte dei Paschi, the world's oldest bank, as the one with the highest risk of failing the European review.

"There still is uncertainty over the impact of the imminent tests ... and possible further capital requirements that may result" from the tests, the Monte dei Paschi foundation, which has a 2.5 percent stake in the bank, said on its website.

Speaking at an event in northern Italy, Monte dei Paschi Chief Executive Fabrizio Viola, who was appointed in 2012 to turn the bank's fortunes around, said the work done so far had "made the house stable capital-wise".

"Then we will see the results that these tests, which are very tough, will yield," Viola said.

($1 = 0.7923 euro)

(Reporting by Paolo Biondi and Andrea Mandala, writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Oleg Vukmanovic and Crispian Balmer)