Silvio Berlusconi will he make Monza the new AC Milan? The road is still extremely long before being able to answer in the affirmative, but a first objective was achieved on Sunday. The club of footballbought in 2018 by the businessman and former Italian Prime Minister, will indeed evolve next season in Serie A after taking over Pisa in the final of the accession play-offs.
Winner 2-1 at home on Thursday, Monza ensured the first accession to the elite in its history during a stunning second leg final, won 4-3 after extra time (2-3 after 90 minutes regulation), in the Pisa stadium, under the eyes of Silvio Berlusconi. The latter will above all make his big comeback in A league.
“We want to win the championship and go to the Champions League”
“It is a great joy. Monza was founded in 1912 and had never been to Serie A. Today we are there and Monza has the team it deserves and which will meet the greats of the Italian championship next year”, commented the former Prime Minister on DAZN, after going to congratulate his players one by one in the locker room. “And you want to know? We want to win the championship and go to Champions League “, he added, remaining true to his legendary ambition.
Serie A was a goal set by the 85-year-old businessman since he bought the club, a year after selling Milan AC which he made a giant of European football during his more than 30 years of management (1986-2017). When Berlusconi arrived, Monza was still in Serie C. The club moved up to Serie B in 2020. Last year, it had failed to rise, beaten in the accession play-offs, despite an aggressive transfer policy, particularly marked by the recruitment of big names like Kevin-Prince Boateng or Mario Balotelli.
The Milan touch at the direction of Monza
Berlusconi, who entrusted the management of the club to his right-hand man from the Milanese years Adriano Galliani, 77, relied this season on players more experienced in Serie B. He also placed coach Giovanni Stroppa on the bench , 54, ex-player for Milan and Monza and already the architect of a Serie A accession in 2020, with Crotone.
The bet is therefore successful this time. Monza accompanies on the upper floor the two clubs directly promoted at the end of the regular season of Serie B: Lecce (1st) and Cremonese (2nd). Fourth in the championship, he had to go through the play-offs involving the teams that finished 3rd and 8th place. The three promoted will take their place in the elite of Venice, Genoa and Cagliari, relegated.
