October 2 – Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian president and owner of AC Milan, is back in football club ownership having bought Serie C club Monza.
The acquisition, reportedly worth between €2.5-3 million, was made via the Berlusconi’s family holding company Fininvest.
Berlusconi (pictured left) sold AC Milan to investor Yonghong Li for €740 million in April 2017. The buy turned out to be disastrous for the Chinese who lost control of the club to US-based hedge fund Elliott Management in July after the Chinese owner missed a deadline to repay part of a loan.
Monza, although over 100 years old, do not have the title winning history of near neighbours Milan who won 29 trophies in 31 years under Berlusconi’s ownership.
But the ambition of the Italian third-tier club is boosted with the thought of a Milan-Monza derby potentially being just two seasons away.
Former Milan vice president Adriano Galliani (pictured right), who is from Monza, is club’s CEO and said of the acquisition: “It’s a romantic move, an act of love from Berlusconi and myself. If we’re able to get Silvio Berlusconi excited again we can do great things.
“For me it’s a return home. I joined Monza in 1975 as an investor and we won the league. Who knows what will happen 43 years later…
“You can’t stop people from dreaming,” he said. “In theory you can go from Serie C to A by July 2020.” Monza are currently top of their division.
Galliani maintains that changes in the playing staff aren’t needed but the club has already been linked with three former AC Milan players expected to join the backroom staff.
Cristian Brocchi is being rumoured to take over as technical director and Filippo Galli is being linked to the youth development post. Riccardo Sogliano is also rumoured to be in line for the sporting director role.
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