Napoli started the new season well with a victory over Hellas Verona. I Partenopei’s next hurdle is Serie A debutant AC Monza. Forza Napoli Press tells you the short version of how Berlusconi and Galliani brought Serie A football to the Italian capital of motorsport.
It’s been a special few months for AC Monza. They finished fourth in Serie B last season and beat Pisa 3-4 in the promotion playoff final, which secured Serie A football for the first time in their history. The club that was founded in 1912 then went on to have an impressive transfer window. Many experienced Serie A players were acquired, but the most notable was Atalanta’s Matteo Pessina. Pessina’s transfer was special, as he was born in Monza and came through the club’s youth ranks. He joined the club at the age of 10 and played there for 7 years. He scored in his debut for the first team during the 2014/15 Serie C season , while being only 17 years old.
Dreaming of Serie A
The sun hasn’t always shone as bright as it is now at Monza. The Biancorossi went bankrupt in 2015 and were then acquired by Nicola Colombo, the son former Milan president Felice Colombo. The club returned to professional football after winning Serie D in 2017. One year later, ex-Milan president Silvio Berlusconi purchased the club through his company Finivest S.p.A. That occasion did not only mark the return of Italy’s former prime minister to Italian football.
Berlusconi appointed Adriano Galliani, his right-hand man at Milan, as chairman. The pair won 29 major titles in 31 years with the Rossoneri. Their goal for this project immediately became clear: give Monza a team in Serie A for the first time ever. Reuniting with Berlusconi wasn’t the only memorable thing about Galliani’s new job. Like Pessina, Galliani was born in Monza. He also spent more than 10 years at the club as a manager and later vice-president, before joining Berlusconi at Milan.
Final push
Monza failed to earn promotion to Serie B in the 2018/19 season after losing in Imolese in the playoff quarterfinal. The following summer, Berlusconi went on to assemble a squad that would comfortably make its way to Italy’s second division. Of course, Monza’s rise wouldn’t end there. The Biancorossi went on to finish fourth in their first Serie B season, thus securing a place in the playoff. That run ended quickly however, with Cittadella winning the tie 3-2.
Like the year before, Monza finished fourth in the 2021/22 Serie B campaign. We know by now that they wouldn’t fail in the playoff that year: Giovanni Stroppa’s men brought Serie A football to the Italian capital of motorsport. Many people have predicted a strong debut season for Monza, with some even suggesting they could fight for a place in the top 10. In their first ever match in the Italian top flight, Monza lost against Torino. They’ll no doubt be motivated to score their first Serie A points on Sunday when they visit the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
