UK regulator bans, fines former Blue Horizon executives for false statements

(Corrects third bullet to clarify that Toni had helped falsify documents to the UK bank, not the football club. Adds attribution in bullets 3 and 4)

Aug 14 (Reuters) - The British financial regulator on Friday fined and banned two former executives of UK-based Blue Horizon Asset Management from working in financial services for falsifying information while pursuing takeovers of a bank and a football club.

Here are some details from the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) decision: 

• The two former executives are Paul Taylor, who was CEO between 2022 and 2025, and Esmeralda Toni, who was a managing director.

• Taylor was fined £489,000 ($660,883), while Toni was fined £121,200.

• Taylor was found to have made misleading statements and falsified documents while attempting to acquire an undisclosed UK bank as well as the Reading Football Club. Toni knowingly helped Taylor falsify documents to the UK bank, the financial regulator said in a statement.

• Taylor falsified documents claiming to be the owner of a bond portfolio worth approximately €200 million on both occasions, the regulator said.

• During the FCA investigation, Toni denied providing misleading statements and the creation of false documents.

• Blue Horizon was one of the prospective bidders for Reading Football Club, which was ultimately bought by U.S.-based sports investment firm Redwood Holdings.

• Blue Horizon Asset Management did not immediately respond to a Reuters email requesting comment; Taylor and Toni could not be reached for comment.

($1 = 0.7399 pounds)

(Reporting by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)