This article first appeared in the March 2021 issue of FourFourTwo – available to order with free delivery now!
Midway through September 2018, Silvio Berlusconi was enjoying some lunch in the tiny municipality of Arcore, 12 miles from the city of Milan. The octogenarian had been out of football for more than 12 months, having sold Milan to Chinese investors for €740 million and ended 31 largely glorious seasons as Rossoneri president. It seemed the three-time Italian Prime Minister and bunga bunga lover was winding down. That afternoon, however, Berlusconi had a visitor: Adriano Galliani, his trusted former right-hand man, Milan chief executive and good friend, who he still saw often. As they dined, Galliani happened to mention some news – not about Milan, but about Monza, the club he had always supported.
“During lunch, I told him that the Colombo family were looking to sell the club,” Galliani later revealed. “I didn’t say anything else to him. After lunch, he asked everyone present, ‘What would you say if we bought Monza?’
“They said yes. He turned to me and said, ‘Adriano, go and do it’. By the end of the day, I’d bought the club for him.”
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From Bassett to Berlusconi
To the surprise of many, Berlusconi had taken control of a club in third-tier Serie C with little history to speak of. Situated just a few miles north-east of Milan, Monza had never played in the top flight.
To sports fans in Italy and beyond, the small city of around 125,000 people was associated not with football but its motor racing circuit: the home of Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix. The football team’s most glorious moment was also its most curious – a 1-0 victory over non-league Wimbledon to capture the 1976 Anglo-Italian Cup, back when only semi-pro clubs took part. Monza played Scarborough and Stafford Rangers en route to the final at their old Stadio Sada, where Dave Bassett lined up for the Dons and was sent off.
I Bagai (‘The Boys’) came within a whisker of reaching Serie A in 1979, losing to Pescara in a play-off, and launched the careers of many talented players in the 1980s – among them Pierluigi Casiraghi and Luigi Di Biagio.
“Monza have always been a club between Serie C and Serie B – their policy was to give young players more opportunities,” explains Anselmo Robbiati, whose playing days began at the club in 1987 before joining Fiorentina, Napoli and Inter. “In my years there, Serie A was so far away because Monza didn’t look for players to make that leap. They invested in the youth team, and whenever a talented player grew up, they sold him to a big club.”
Patrice Evra even had a three-game spell with Monza in 1999, but the club fell on hard times and were declared bankrupt five years later. After being purchased by a consortium including Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf in 2009, disaster struck following a takeover by Englishman Anthony Armstrong-Emery. Players started to go unpaid as the owner’s property company collapsed, in a controversy that led to him being banned from running a business for 14 years. Compatriot Dennis Bingham acquired Monza for a paltry €1, but within a month he’d sold them to an Italian group. Bankruptcy was declared again in the summer of 2015, when the club was bought at auction by the Colombos.
“I was sorry to see Monza suffering in those conditions, in such difficulty,” sighs Robbiati. Monza’s fortunes got worse before they got better: they fell into Serie D, but returned to the third tier a year before Berlusconi made his move. The one-time cruise ship crooner was revered by Milan supporters during his long reign at San Siro, helping the Rossoneri secure eight league titles and five European Cups, all while harnessing his popularity to become Italian prime minister in three stints from 1994, 2001 and 2008.
Controversy always followed Berlusconi. He was eventually banned from public office for six years thanks to a conviction for tax fraud in 2013, shortly after he was found guilty of paying for sex with an underage Moroccan girl. His hedonistic bunga bunga parties had become infamous.
In early 2018, months after he had sold up at Milan, Berlusconi suffered more political misery when his Forza Italia party struggled at the national elections. “I’ll probably have to return to Milan now,” he said. “The political analysts can see a link between Forza Italia’s poor election results and the sale of the club.” Instead, he bought Monza. During his final years at Milan, Berlusconi lacked the funds to compete at the top: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva both left for cash-splashing Paris Saint-Germain, and the Rossoneri finished no higher than sixth in Berlusconi’s last four campaigns at the helm. At Monza, his money could go much further.
The goal was ambitious – take Monza from Serie C to Serie A for the first time in the club’s history. Unsurprisingly, Berlusconi had specific ideas about how it should be done.
“It will be a young team, made up entirely of Italian players,” he stated at his first press conference. “They’ll have their hair in order – we’ve already found a hairdresser in Monza who said they will cut their hair for free. No beards, no tattoos, and they won’t be able to proudly wear loads of earrings.
“They will be an example of fairness on the pitch, they’ll apologise to their opponents in the case of a foul, they’ll treat the referee like a gentleman. If they’re asked for autographs, they’ll write their name well – no scrawling – and they’ll always go out dressed soberly and fashionably. I want something that’s different to modern football.”
He spoke to players in the dressing room as well, turning on the trademark Berlusconi charm. “Those who believe, win,” he declared. “So believe when you go onto the field... and win by at least three goals.”
The follicly challenged Galliani – often nicknamed ‘Uncle Fester’ as he resembles the Addams Family character – was immediately installed as chief executive. “I’ve always been a Monza guy – I was only out on loan at Milan for 31 years,” chuckled Berlusconi’s sidekick.
A month later, when the first five matches of the new regime brought no wins, Cristian Brocchi was appointed Monza manager. The 45-year-old enjoyed three spells with Milan as a defensive midfielder, then coached the youth side before a brief stint as first-team boss in 2016. He took over for the last seven games of the season – including the Coppa Italia final – after Sinisa Mihajlovic’s sacking.
“Monza needed a manager who could play the type of football they knew and wanted, so they picked me – knowing me as a coach personally and my idea of football,” Brocchi tells FourFourTwo. “From the very beginning, the project has been to reach Serie A. Doctor Galliani is in love with Monza. He’s been a fan since he was five – his mum used to take him along to watch their matches. From the first day, the team was 10th or 11th in Serie C and they said, ‘We need to get to Serie B this year or at worst next year, then the following year we need to get to Serie A’.”
During that first campaign, 2018/19, Monza climbed from the bottom half of the table to finish fifth. Incredibly, Galliani coordinated 30 January transfers – 16 signings and 14 exits – to overhaul the squad. The late-season surge earned a play-off spot, only for them to lose in the quarter-finals to Imolese.
“We tried hard to make everything happen quickly that season and build a new side, but it’s hard to create something big overnight,” remembers Brocchi, who also revealed that Berlusconi likes to phone him before games with words of ‘encouragement’.
“We also lost the Coppa Italia Serie C final to Viterbese Castrense with 30 seconds to go, which left us feeling bitter. But those were the moments we needed to prepare for the new campaign. We started winning from the first match, without ever stopping.”
With their backline notably bolstered by former Milan and Liverpool defender Gabriel Paletta, plus ex-Leeds man Giuseppe Bellusci, Monza had stormed 16 points clear at the top of Serie C by the time coronavirus brought it to a halt in late February.
Such was I Bagai’s domination, losing just two of their 27 matches, they were deserving recipients of the league’s solitary automatic promotion place when it was decided that Serie C wouldn’t resume. “Credit to all of the players, coaches and managers – and a bit to myself,” back-slapped the ever-humble Berlusconi after Monza’s ascent was sealed.
Bring on the big boys
Serie B status established, Monza were keen to push on further in 2020/21. That meant thinking big – something they had been doing for a while. Galliani had already tried to lure Rossoneri legend Kaka out of retirement, and even made an audacious attempt to recruit Ibrahimovic after the striker’s departure from LA Galaxy. He had successfully persuaded the Swede to join Milan in 2010, but this time the task was too great – Ibra returned to San Siro for a second stint instead.
Just as the Serie B campaign was starting, Monza finally made their statement signing: Kevin-Prince Boateng, formerly of Barcelona, Tottenham, Portsmouth and of course Milan, where he had two spells and was a Scudetto winner in 2010-11. The 33-year-old spent last season with Fiorentina and Besiktas.
“How did Berlusconi convince me to sign?” explained the 15-cap Ghana international. “He called me and said, ‘My son, come home’. There was no need for many more words.”
Sure, Boateng was covered in tattoos, had a beard and was neither young nor Italian, but Berlusconi had long since overlooked the vows of his maiden Monza press conference.
“I wanted an only-Italian team, but then Galliani reminded me about the three Dutch players in Milan,” he said, remembering the renowned Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard triumvirate.
Among 13 summer additions, Berlusconi funded £4m to sign Mirko Maric from Osijek, while Monza also snapped up Carlos Augusto from Corinthians and Danish striker Christian Gytkjaer – last term’s leading marksman in the Polish top tier with 24 goals.
“Silvio has become as much a supporter of Monza as I am,” smiled Galliani. “Every day he calls me to find out if there’s any news. Actually, last time I thought he was scolding me... I was afraid I’d spent a lot – instead, he asked, ‘Adriano, what can we do to further strengthen ourselves?’”
With another much-changed team, it took a while for Monza to find their feet in Serie B – they drew their opening three games and lost the fourth, not long after Berlusconi had been hospitalised with COVID-19. Eventually recovered, the 84-year-old’s club were also soon on the mend: Boateng scored as Monza triumphed at Cittadella, instigating a streak of just two defeats in 15 matches that lifted them to second by late January. That put them in an automatic promotion spot – two teams go straight up, with six more playing off for the other berth in Serie A.
One of their most recent wins, 3-0 at home to Salernitana, came thanks to a debut goal from another headline signing. Mario Balotelli was a free agent following a disastrous spell with hometown club Brescia last season, his contract terminated after repeatedly missing training and clashing with owner Massimo Cellino, the former Leeds supremo. Balotelli had been linked with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, and even Championship side Barnsley, but Monza won the chase.
“The turning point was Mario’s availability, but also when [agent] Mino Raiola renounced any commission,” said Galliani.
Like Boateng, the 30-year-old forward had played for Brocchi at Milan.
“Mario knew he’d find a manager he knows, and I’m happy to have him with us,” beams Brocchi. “When he arrived, I honestly found him very calm and happy. He’s never played in Serie B – he’s used to playing for important teams, and the national team, but dramas have seen him taken away from those kinds of contexts. Here, he began working well right away. In fact, I decided to play him from the first minute in a game when no one expected it, and the very first time he touched the ball for us, he scored.”
Balotelli needed just four minutes to tap home from close range against Salernitana, then the league leaders. He was ruled out with a muscle injury days later, but his rapid start offered plenty of hope that Monza’s two big-name signings could have equally large parts to play in the second half of the season. Indeed, Boateng was Serie B’s player of the month for December.
Given the number of ex-Milan connections at Monza, it’s no surprise that Rossoneri fans have been taking notice.
“They’re also following Monza now,” says Vito Angele of the Milan Reports blog. “Silvio Berlusconi is the most successful president in the history of Milan – Monza are very lucky to have him. With Berlusconi, they can afford to dream. They want to go to Serie A – maybe they could even get into Europe.”
Gianluca Zambrotta, who spent four years at Milan under Berlusconi and Galliani, fully expects Monza to win a historic promotion.
“It’s a nice story – I’m so happy for both of them, because they’ve returned to the world of football with a club that started in Serie C,” the 2006 World Cup winner tells FFT. “They can reach Serie A this year. This Monza team is definitely not a Serie B side – they’re a team that could fight very well against some sides currently in Serie A.”
In early September, Monza visited San Siro to play Milan in a friendly; next season, they could return there for a first league meeting since the Rossoneri’s dalliance with Serie B in 1982/83. For Berlusconi and Galliani, that would be a moment of real pride. “I probably wouldn’t wear any scarf – my heart beats for both clubs,” Berlusconi recently said.
“It would be a magnificent experience to play Milan,” says lifelong Monza lover Davide Dell’Anna, currently forced to watch games from home during the pandemic, but one of the 4,000 supporters at the 7,500-capacity Stadio Brianteo in Serie C last term. He hopes he would be able to travel to San Siro for the most prestigious fixture of all.
“In the past, if Monza were playing away, I’ve often gone to see Milan,” he says. “Most people from Monza support Milan or Inter – in previous years, Monza’s stadium has been half full, even though the ultras section is always full. I’ve supported Monza since I was just 10 years old, and this is the team’s best moment in that time. We’ve never reached Serie A – if we do, it’ll be the greatest trophy we could ever win.”
Former Bagai players such as Robbiati are keeping their fingers crossed, too. “This side has massive potential,” says the 51-year-old ex-attacking midfielder. “I hope they secure promotion this year, at long last.”
Now, it’s up to Brocchi to deliver the dream for Berlusconi & Co. Pressure, much?
“I never hide from it,” states the manager. “I’ve been asked to bring the team to Serie A, and I know very well that it’s the ownership’s objective. My players are a great group and they’re so ambitious like the owners, aiming towards something important.
“If we play against Milan next season, that was already emotional for me when I played for Fiorentina and Lazio, as Milan is something I’ve had inside me since I was nine. But my greatest emotion would be to gift something to the city of Monza, along with the fans who lived through all the hard seasons in Serie D. It would gift the people a dream that would remain remarkable in club history, because Monza have never competed in Serie A. This club does not place limits upon itself, though – we have one of the most successful owners of all time. If the team seals promotion and makes it to the top flight, our ambition won’t be stopping there.”
As Italy waits on expectantly, its calcio nuts at least know one thing for certain: with Silvio Berlusconi, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Mario Balotelli on board, Monza’s journey from here won’t be dull. Expect fireworks.
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