There’s a new sheriff in the town of Serie A. A.C. Monza, promoted to the top-flight for the first time, are ready to upset some apple carts. It has been a monumental rise for one of Italy’s oldest clubs.
Monza were playing in the Serie C as recently as 2019. In fact, no other team had played more seasons in Serie B without earning a promotion than Monza with 40. However, now they are ready for the limelight, and that has been the case ever since 2018.
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What happened in 2018? Well, they had an ownership change, which preceded all the good times. This is the story of the revolution at Monza, and why it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Who owns A.C. Monza?
If you think Monza has an extremely rich owner, a famous public figure…that is correct. The club is wholly owned by Fininvest S.p.A., an Italian holding company. While that name may be vaguely familiar, it bodes well to know who runs Fininvest.
It is the Berlusconi family, and when it comes to that surname, there is one name that pervades Italian football. Silvio Berlusconi, former Italy Prime Minister and owner of AC Milan, spearheaded the charge to buy Monza. He was joined on the board of directors by former Milan CEO Adriano Galliani.
Former Prime Minister of Italy and owner of AC Milan, Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galiani, AC Milan’s former CEO, purchased AC Monza in 2018. pic.twitter.com/689HQrYyo7
— COPA90 (@Copa90) December 8, 2020
The pair had had an extremely successful partnership running the Rossoneri, who won 29 trophies during the Berlusconi era. One of Italy’s most colourful personalities, Berlusconi is also ludicrously rich and that has shown at Monza. The club has embarked on a golden run in the four years since.
Taking on stalwarts to succeed
After the buy was complete, it was clear that Monza would earn promotion very easily over the coming few years. The other clubs could not compete with the new riches that Berlusconi has brought to Monza.
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To nobody’s surprise, they went on a spending spree, recruiting former Serie A regulars. The likes of Andrea Brighenti, Nicola Rauti, Tommaso Morosini, and Giuseppe Bellusci were all signed to provide experience and star calibre. Monza were leading the table when football stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They were…
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