.svg){kind=logo} | ||||
| Full name | Associazione Calcio MonzaS.p.A. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | ||||
| Founded |
| |||
| Ground | Stadio Brianteo | |||
| Capacity | 17,102 | |||
| Owner | Berlusconi family (throughFininvest) | |||
| Honorary chairman | Paolo Berlusconi | |||
| Head coach | Alessandro Nesta | |||
| League | Serie A | |||
| 2023–24 | Serie A, 12th of 20 | |||
| Website | acmonza.com | |||
 Current season | ||||
Associazione Calcio Monza (Italian pronunciation:[ˈmontsa]ⓘ), or simplyMonza, is a professionalfootball club based inMonza,Lombardy, Italy. The team plays in theSerie A, the first tier ofItalian football, following promotion in the2021–22 Serie B season.
The club was founded in 1912 as Monza FBC and came close to promotion to the Serie A on multiple occasions in the 1970s. However, they faced financial issues at times during the first two decades of the 21st century, being declaredbankrupt twice, in 2004 and 2015. FollowingSilvio Berlusconi's takeover of the club in 2018, Monza returned to theSerie B in 2020 after a 19-year absence and achieved promotion to the Serie A for the first time in 2022. Before their promotion, no Italian team had played more Serie B seasons (40) without reaching the Serie A. Monza have won theCoppa Italia Serie C a record four times, theSerie C championship four times, and anAnglo-Italian Cup.
From the club's founding, Monza's colours were blue and white, but they were changed to red and white in 1932. As a result, the team are nicknamedi biancorossi (the white and reds). Monza have played their home games at theStadio Brianteo since 1988. The team have rivalries withComo,Pro Sesto andPisa.
Monza Foot-Ball Club was founded on 1 September 1912[1] in the Cappello Vecchiotrattoria,[2] following the merger of theMonza-based clubs Pro Italia and Pro Monza.[3] The new club established their first headquarters in the Romacoffeehouse located on the similarly named town square in Monza;[1] the team initially wore a blue and white kit.[3] Monza's first recorded game was against a team fromMilan,[4] while their first win came on 20 September 1912 when they beatJuventus Italia [it] 2–1 inTriante.[5] The club won their first trophy, the Coppa Colli, in early 1913 after beatingSaronno [it] 3–2 in the final.[6]
In November 1913, Monza FBC merged with Juventus FBC (a group of athletes formerly part of theForti e Liberi [it] sports club)[7] to form Associazione Calcio Monza.[8] Monza first participated in theTerza Categoria [it] (third level) in the1913–14 season [it]; they played their first match on 4 January 1914,[9] losing 3–1 at home againstFanfulla.[10] Thefollowing season [it], Monza took part in thePromozione (second level),[11] finishing fourth in their group of six.[12] Despite the outbreak ofWorld War I, whenconscription forced teams to send their adult players to war, Monza were able to continue their sporting activity with young players.[13]
Between 1915 and 1918, the war interrupted official tournaments.[14] Upon the resumption of football in 1919,[14] Monza took part in the1919–20 Promozione [it] (second level).[15] Having finished first in their group,[16] Monza played the promotion finals againstTrevigliese [it], losing 2–1.[17] TheItalian Football Federation, however, decided to promote Monza viarepechage,[17] and the team were allocated to thePrima Categoria [it], the top tier ofItalian football.[18] In 1919, Monza hosted theCzechoslovakia military national team[19] for afriendly game at Grazie Vecchie field that ended in a 1–1 draw.[20]
Monza were grouped withMilan,Cremonese andPro Patria in their qualifying group for the Prima Categoria.[20] Their first game was played on 24 October 1920, a 4–1 home defeat to Milan; Francesco Mandelli scored Monza's lone goal.[21] They finished the1920–21 season with no points and in last place in their group.[22] Thefollowing season, Monza finished second in their group, missing out on the final stage by one position.[23] Due to a restructuring of the league system, Monza were moved to theSeconda Divisione (second level) for the1922–23 season;[24] they avoided relegation by beatingChiasso andCanottieri Lecco in the play-offs.[25] In1926–27, after beatingPonziana 3–2 in the final, Monza were declared champions of the Seconda Divisione Lega Nord (third level) and were promoted to thePrima Divisione (second level).[26]
During the 1930s and 1940s Monza played in the Prima Divisione (third level), which became theSerie C in 1935.[27] In September 1932, ahead of the1932–33 season, Monza changed their shirt colours to red and white, which they have worn ever since.[28] They became nicknamed "i biancorossi" (the white and reds) following the colour change.[28] Monza finished in first place thefollowing season and played around-robin tournament with three other teams for promotion to theSerie B (second level); they finished fourth and failed to move up to the second level.[29] On 23 April 1939, the club reached theCoppa Italia quarter-finals, losing 2–1 to Serie A sideGenoa.[30][31] They became the first Serie C team to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.[32]
Between 1942 and 1945,World War II interrupted football in Italy.[33] Following the war, Monza were placed in the Serie C (third level), finishing eighth in the1945–46 season.[34] They came close to promotion thefollowing season, finishing third in the promotion play-offs.[35] In 1947, Peppino Borghi became president of Monza.[36] Monza, who were coached byAnnibale Frossi, headed into the1950–51 Serie C with a strong transfer campaign.[37] On 4 June 1951, Monza played away toOmegna [it] in the season's second-to-last match; Carlo Colombetti of Monza scored the match's only goal with apenalty kick,[38] giving Monza their first promotion into the Serie B.[39]
Monza debuted in theSerie B on 9 September 1951, drawing toSiracusa 1–1 away from home.[40] The team only avoided relegation on the last matchday with a 2–1 home win againstPiombino.[41] Against most experts' pre-season expectations, Monza finished the1952–53 Serie B in fourth position, three points behind automatic promotion in second place.[42]
In July 1955, ahead of the1955–56 season, Monza merged with Prima Divisione (sixth level) side GS Simmenthal, the football club of theSimmenthal [it] food company.[43] AC Monza was renamed AC Simmenthal-Monza, and was headed by Simmenthal owner Claudio Sada.[44] The merger helped fund subsequent transfer campaigns.[43] The match between Monza andVerona on 8 October 1955 was the firstfree-to-air televised match in Italy.[45] Monza's first season under the new management was positive, finishing the season in third place.[46] In the following years, until the end of their merger in 1964, Monza alternated positive seasons (fourth and fifth place in1958 and1961, respectively) with negative ones (16th and 15th in1960 and1964).[47] On 14 July 1964, Simmenthal ceased to sponsor Monza and the club reverted to its former name.[48]
Despite Monza's stable financial situation,[b] no one was interested in purchasing the club; Sada decided to remain president for the following season.[50] While Monza barely avoided relegation in the1964–65 season,[51] the same could not be said about thenext season: following 15 years of second-tier football, Monza were relegated to the Serie C in the last matchday of the season,[52] drawing 0–0 away toMantova on 19 June 1966.[53] After winning the1966–67 play-off game againstComo 1–0, thanks to a lone goal byGianluigi Maggioni [it] in the 32nd minute, Monza were promoted back to the Serie B after one year.[54]
Three years after their Serie B promotion, Monza came close to reaching the Serie A for the first time in the1969–70 Serie B under coachLuigi Radice; they needed an away win against first-placedVarese to keep their promotion chances alive on the second-to-last matchday.[55] On 7 June 1970, after just two minutes of play, Monza took the lead throughRoberto Caremi [it]; in the sixth minute,Giampaolo Lanzetti [it] failed to double the lead, wasting a clear chance in front of the goal.[56] Varese won 2–1, preventing Monza from gaining promotion.[56]
In mid-1972, Giovanni Cappelletti became president of the club.[57] In his first year in charge, Monza were relegated to the Serie C after losing the last match of the1972–73 season away toBari 3–1.[58] Despite their relegation, Monza saw success in theCoppa Italia Semiprofessionisti, reaching the finals in 1974, 1975 and 1976, winning the first two overLecce andSorrento, and losing the third in a repeat of the first final.[59] Five matches before the end of the1975–76 season, Monza were promoted back to the Serie B;[60] they also won anAnglo-Italian Cup on 19 June 1976, beatingWimbledon 1–0 in the final through aFrancesco Casagrande [it] goal.[61]
During the late 1970s, Monza came close to gaining promotion to the Serie A on multiple occasions.[62] The first time was as a newly promoted team in the1976–77 season, when they lost the season's final match 2–1 againstModena through an 81st-minuteown goal.[63] Thefollowing season went in a similar fashion for Monza, losing out to direct promotion in the second-to-last matchday againstPistoiese.[64][65] In the1978–79 Serie B season Monza again missed out on promotion in the final matches, being defeated by already-relegated Lecce in the second-to-last match.[66] Monza tied withPescara on points for third place and the two sides played a promotion tie-breaker, which Monza lost 2–0.[67] In Cappelletti's last season as president, in1979–80, Monza failed to gain promotion to the top flight for the fourth consecutive year. Four games from the end of the season, Monza were in third place in a spot for direct promotion; decisive defeats againstCesena andBrescia meant that Monza finished in fifth place, three points from Serie A promotion.[68]
Valentino Giambelli became the club president in 1980,[69] succeeding Cappelletti, and the club was renamed Calcio Monza.[70] In the1980–81 Serie B, Monza played in a championship with historical sides Milan andLazio;[71] both of whom had been relegated from the Serie A following the1980 Totonero scandal.[72] Monza finished in last place and were relegated to the Serie C1 (third level),[69][73] but were promoted backone season later [it].[74][75] They remained in the Serie B for a further four seasons before being relegated in 1986.[76]
In the1986–87 Serie C1 [it], players such asAlessandro Costacurta,Francesco Antonioli andPierluigi Casiraghi, who later became established names in Italian football, made their professional debuts with Monza.[62] Captained byPierluigi Frosio, Monza gained promotion to the Serie B in the1987–88 season [it],[77] and also won their third Coppa Italia Serie C,[c] beatingPalermo 2–1 at home following a goalless draw away.[79] The second leg, which was played on 11 June 1988, was Monza's last game in theStadio Gino Alfonso Sada, after which the team moved to the newly constructedStadio Brianteo.[80] The first match was played at the new stadium on 28 August 1988, when over 10,000 spectators attended Monza's Coppa Italia game against Serie A clubRoma; against expectations, Monza won 2–1 with goals by Casiraghi andCarmelo Mancuso.[81]
After having closely avoided relegation in1988–89 ongoal difference,[82] Monza lost the1989–90 Serie B relegation play-off againstMessina on 7 June 1990, and were relegated to the Serie C1.[83][84] On 13 June 1991, Monza won a record fourth Coppa Italia Serie C, beating Palermo in the final.[85][86] They gained promotion to the Serie B in the1991–92 season [it][87][88] but two years later, Monza finished the1993–94 season in last place and returned to the third tier.[89]
In March 1997, Giambelli signed a collaboration agreement with Milan and Monza became asatellite team of theRossoneri,[90] the first of its kind in Italy.[91] In June 1997, Monza returned to the Serie B after defeatingCarpi 3–2 in the promotion play-off final; they were coached by Luigi Radice, who had also helped them to promotion 30 years prior.[92] Thefollowing season, newly promoted Monza changed most of their roster, introducing young players, many of whom came from Milan'syouth sector.[93] The team closed the season having been on the verge of relegation.[94]
In April 1999,[91] after 19 years of presidency, Giambelli left the club amid criticism from fans concerning Monza's close connection with Milan and their CEOAdriano Galliani.[95] With Giambelli's departure, Monza ceased to be Milan's satellite team.[91] The club entered a period of instability, changing owners twice in five years. Monza were relegated to the Serie C1 in 2001[96] and then, for the first time, to the Serie C2 (fourth level) in 2002.[97][98] Amid Monza's financial troubles, on 31 December 2003 thecomune of Monza cut the supply of water and gas of Stadio Brianteo after the club was unable to pay the bills;[99] Monza was forced to play home games atStadio Breda in neighbouringSesto San Giovanni.[98]
On 18 March 2004, Monza was declaredbankrupt.[100] On 3 June the same year, the club was acquired byAtalanta vice-president Gian Battista Begnini,[101] who renamed it AC Monza Brianza 1912.[102] Monza took part in the2004–05 Serie C2 [it]; despite being eliminated in the promotion play-off semi-finals, they were admitted into the Serie C1 via repechage.[103] Monza twice came close to promotion to the Serie B, losing two consecutive play-off finals. In the2005–06 season, after having lost at home 2–0, Monza won the away leg to Genoa 1–0, having missed many chances to score further goals.[104] The2006–07 season was even more dramatic: in the first leg at home, Monza beatPisa thanks to a 74th-minute penalty.[105] In the second leg, a first-half goal by Pisa forced the game intoextra time, and Pisa scored again to secure promotion at Monza's expense.[106]
On 13 July 2009, Begnini sold the club to the PaSportholding company, headed by former Milan playerClarence Seedorf.[107] The new ownership did not last long: in 2012 the club was relegated to the Serie C2 and, on 12 May 2013, was sold toAnthony Armstrong Emery.[108] Following broken promises regarding an increase in finances in the club, Monza was sold again, on 12 December 2014, to Dennis Bingham for €1.[109] The new president was contested straight away by fans for not paying the players' salaries.[110]
Following the club's sale to Piero Montaquila in March 2015,[111] Monza won the2014–15 Lega Pro relegation play-offs againstPordenone, and were due to remain in the third level the following season.[112] However, Monza were declared bankrupt on 27 May.[113] The club was acquired byNicola Colombo on 2 July that year and was renamed SSD Monza 1912.[114] Monza registered to theSerie D (fourth level) on 31 July[109] and finished the2015–16 season mid-table.[115] In May 2016, the club changed its name to SS Monza 1912 and achieved promotion back to the Serie C under coachMarco Zaffaroni in 2017.[116] Having won Group B of the Serie D, the team took part in the competition'spoule scudetto (a post-season competition to determine the best non-professional Italian team); they won the Scudetto Serie D trophy after defeatingRavenna 2–1 in the final.[117]
On 28 September 2018, the holding companyFininvest, which was headed by former Milan presidentSilvio Berlusconi, announced its acquisition of Monza; Monza-born Adriano Galliani, formerly CEO of Milan, also became part of the board of directors.[118] The Berlusconi–Galliani duo had been one of the most successful leaderships in football history, having won 29 trophies with Milan between 1986 and 2016.[119] According toForbes's2021 ranking, Berlusconi was the richest owner of a football club in Italy, and ninth worldwide, with his fortune being valued at $7.6 billion.[120]
In the first season under the new leadership, Monza finished the2018–19 Serie C in fifth place withCristian Brocchi as coach,[121] and lost toViterbese in the final minute of the Coppa Italia Serie C final.[122] On 1 July 2019, the club returned to its historical name AC Monza.[123] Aiming for direct promotion to the Serie B, Monza reinforced their squad with players with Serie A experience to prepare for the2019–20 season.[124] In March 2020, Monza held first position with a 16 point-lead over second-placedCarrarese.[125] The same month, theLega Pro committee announced the suspension of the league due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[126] On 8 June, the Italian Football Federation formally declared Monza champions and the team were promoted to the Serie B after a 19-year absence from the competition.[127]
Monza headed into the2020–21 Serie B as the club most likely to finish in first place, according to mostbookmakers.[128] Having finished the first half of the season in second place,[129] in a spot for direct promotion, Monza dropped one position at the end of the season and took part in the promotion play-offs;[130] they lost toCittadella 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals.[131] Brocchi was dismissed at the end of the season, and was replaced byGiovanni Stroppa as head coach.[132]
In the2021–22 season, Monza lost toPerugia and missed out on direct Serie A promotion in the last matchday.[133] Having finished in fourth place,[134] Monza played the play-off semi-finals where they defeated Brescia and reached the final against Pisa.[135] Monza won the first leg at home 2–1, while Pisa won the second leg 3–2.[136] Two goals in extra time by Monza won them the encounter 4–3 (6–4 on aggregate), to earn promotion to the2022–23 Serie A for the first time.[137] Prior to their promotion, Monza had competed in 40 Serie B seasons, the most of any Italian club without ever being promoted to the first division.[138]Christian Gytkjær was key to helping Monza to promotion, scoring five goals in the playoffs.[139]
Monza began their Serie A season on 13 August 2022, with a 2–1 home defeat toTorino;Dany Mota's goal in stoppage time was Monza's first in the Italian top flight.[140] After consecutive defeats in the opening five games, Monza earned their first point in a 1–1 draw to Lecce on 11 September.[141] Sitting in last place with only one point in six games, Monza replaced Stroppa with under-19s head coachRaffaele Palladino.[142] He guided them to their first historic win on 18 September, in an upset 1–0 win against giantsJuventus at home thanks to a goal by Gytkjær.[143] In their first top-flight season, Monza mathematically avoided relegation six matchdays in advance; no other team had done so on their Serie A debut.[d][144] Monza eventually finished the season in 11th place with 52 points under Palladino,[145] the highest point tally among newly promoted teams in Europe's top five leagues,[146] and the second-highest point tally for a Serie A debuttee in history.[e][147]
Upon their formation in September 1912, Monza's team wore long-sleeved, blue shirts with a white collar and cuffs.[3] The choice of blue was "forced"; a local cloth dealer, who was a football fan, gave the newly founded club a piece of blue cloth he had not been able to sell for years.[3] Following World War I, in the 1919–20 Promozione, the countless washes faded the shirts' colours from blue to white, and they were replaced with new, half-white and half-blue shirts with matching sleeves.[20]
The club continued to wear the blue-and-white colours for 20 years until September 1932, when Monza changed their colours to red and white, which they have worn ever since.[28] The change came as a result of professor Giuseppe Riva's report addressed to thecomune of Monza in May 1923, in which he discovered that the city's historical colours were red and white.[f][149] Monza debuted with their new colours in theCoppa del ventennio (Two-decades cup), a friendly tournament to mark Monza's 20-year anniversary.[150] The kit was a white shirt with a red vertical stripe in the middle and black shorts.[150] The team's away kit was the inverse of the home one; on occasions when Monza were to face a team also wearing red and white, they wore a blue kit.[150] Ever since, the home kit has been red and the away kit white;[151] prior to 1971, the home shirt was generally solid red and the away shirt white.[150] In the 1937–38 and 1961–62 seasons, Monza's home shirt was striped red-and-white.[150]
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During the 1950s, the shorts were usually white and rarely black.[152] Goalkeepers wore black or grey kits.[150] In 1971, Monza's home kit underwent a slight but significant change: a vertical white band was added on the left-hand side, running through the length of the red shirt.[152] The band was red for the white away shirt.[152] The following year, the vertical band extended to the shorts and the kit numbers were displayed on the sleeves.[153] TheCorona Ferrea (Iron Crown) was used as a logo at the top of the stripe on the chest.[154] In the seasons following Monza's Coppa Italia Serie C wins in 1974, 1975, 1988 and 1991, thecockade of Italy replaced the crown.[154] On 22 August 1979, during a1979–80 Coppa Italia game against Milan, Monza displayed the players' names on top of the numbers on the back, a novelty at the time dubbed "all'Americana" (American style); the Italian Football Federation did not approve of the change and fined the club.[155] Monza first displayed a sponsor on their shirt in 1982, showing the text "Ponteggi Dalmine [it]".[155]
From 1981, the lateral white stripe was removed from the kit, making way for different forms of full-red shirts; the stripe returned sporadically for short periods in 1992, 2000, 2014[156] and since 2018.[157] In 2019, following the club's name change back to AC Monza, newLotto shirts that included a smallAutodromo logo on the back of the collar in reference to theMonza Circuit were unveiled.[158] On their 110th anniversary on 1 September 2022, Monza introduced a light blue kit as theirthird colours for the 2022–23 season in honour of the club's first shirt.[159]
Monza's firstcrest was designed in 1920:[160] it depicted a blue shield with a red border, with a goldenCorona Ferrea inside.[161] The text "AC Monza" was written in black inside a white horizontal band on top of the shield.[161] The crest remained in use until 1932, when Monza's colours changed to red and white.[161] In 1933, the badge became circular and was vertically divided into red and white halves, and included golden initials ACM with the crown at the bottom.[162] During the1937–38 season, the badge's shape was changed from a circle to an oval, keeping the same details.[162] It stayed the same until 1945, following World War II, when it changed to a rectangular shape that was divided into red and white halves.[162] The white half on the left featured the club's name and the founding year, while the crown was placed in the red half.[163]
Following Monza's promotion to the Serie B in 1951, the crest again became oval shaped and the text's orientation was changed from vertical to horizontal.[164] This design lasted five years until Monza's merger with Simmenthal, when the logo became more detailed; the badge was shaped like anox head, including the horns.[164] The colours were placed diagonally, similarly to the 1951 crest, with the letters S (for Simmenthal) and M (Monza) being placed on top of each other in the badge's centre.[164] The crown was placed above the letters.[164] After the end of the merger in 1966, the badge became a stylised goldenCorona Ferrea with red details.[164] The epigraph of the club's name was placed in the inner circle.[164] In 1984, Monza's logo went back to a rectangular shape.[165] A white invertedchevron was placed inside, with the words "Calcio" and "Monza" placed on each side of the chevron.[165] A vertical sword, a reference toEstorre Visconti,[166] was placed inside the downwards-pointing triangle formed by the chevron.[165] The crown formed thehilt of the sword.[167]
In 2000,[168] the logo changed to a rounded-bottom shield; a red crown was placed in the top third on a white background, while the bottom two-thirds contained the words "Calcio Monza 1912" written in white on a red background.[169] The logo remained until 2004, when a new crest was introduced: it was a more rounded red shield with white details; "AC Monza Brianza" was written on top, and a depiction of a sword "cutting through" a crown – both drawn in a minimalist style – was placed on the bottom.[168] Monza celebrated their 100th anniversary in the2012–13 season. A modified version of the logo was announced to mark the occasion: a gold crown with red and white gems was placed on top of the crest. "MB" (standing forMonza Brianza) written in red was placed below the crest, surrounded by "2012" to the left, "1912" to the right and "100" on the bottom, all written in gold.[170]
Starting from the2013–14 season, Monza's logo included a red shield with the club's name ("AC Monza Brianza") in white capital letters inside.[166] TheCorona Ferrea was placed above the shield and two white "Visconti" crossed swords were included inside the shield.[166] The logo underwent a minor redesign in 2015, when the two crossed swords were replaced with a vertical sword, and the text on top changed to "SSD Monza", to reflect the club's name change.[171] In 2016 and 2019, the text in the badge was changed to "Monza" and "AC Monza", respectively.[168][123] In 2021, a thin red outline was added to the logo, enclosing the already present white border surrounding the red shield.[172] The same year, Monza published a brand manual, including information about the geometrical construction of the badge, the fonts used by the club, and their colour dubbed "Rosso Monza" (Monza Red;hex: #E4032E).[172]
Since 2006, the club's official anthem has been the song "Monza Alè", which was written and composed by the band Amusia, whose leader was former Monza playerMichele Magrin.[166]
Pro Monza and Pro Italia, the clubs that merged to form Monza in 1912, played in the Boschetti Reali in front of theRoyal Villa of Monza.[3] After the merger, Monza first played in the district of Triante;[3] the field was called "fuori porta" (outside the door) because it was located outside the city of Monza.[173] Smallstands were built for a cost ofITL3,000 (€12,000 as of 2022[g]).[175] The opening match at the field was played between Milan and Chiasso on 13 May 1912, which ended in a 5–2 win for Milan.[175]
Monza's first city-based stadium was the Grazie Vecchie, which was inaugurated on 13 May 1915 with a 1–0 win over Juventus Italia.[176] The stadium also played host to a friendly match between Monza and the Czechoslovakia military national team in 1919,[19] which ended in a 1–1 draw.[20]
In late 1923,[177] Monza relocated to their newly constructed stadium inVia Ghilini (Ghilini Street), which cost almost ITL70,000 (€67,000[g]).[178] The stadium was inaugurated in early 1924 with a friendly againstGloria from the city ofFiume, following the city's recent annexation to Italy,[h] which Monza won 2–1.[178] TheVia Ghilini field continued operating until 1939 when World War II made it impractical.[179]
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In 1945, following the war, a new playing field was built on the parade ground of the formerGioventù Italiana del Littorio (GIL), and was called the San Gregorio field.[180] It was inaugurated on 21 October with Monza's 2–0 friendly win overPavia.[181] Following Monza's promotion to the Serie B in 1951, agrandstand and stands were built, and the stadium was renamed Stadio Città di Monza; the supporters, however, continued using its traditional name.[180]
In 1965, the stadium was renamed Stadio Gino Alfonso Sada in honour of the deceased former president of Monza.[182] The club's last match at the "Sada" was played on 11 June 1988; it was the away match of the 1987–88 Coppa Italia Serie C final against Palermo, which Monza won 2–1.[80]
On 28 May 1979, plans for the construction of a new stadium, which were approved by the Extraordinary Commissioner Alfio Licandro, began.[183] Construction of the newStadio Brianteo began on 13 November 1982 and ended in 1986.[184] In the initial project, the stadium's capacity was expected to be around 30,000; for security reasons, however, the capacity was lowered to just under 20,000.[185] Monza played their first game at the "Brianteo" on 28 August 1988, when they hosted Serie A side Roma in the Coppa Italia; Monza won their first match in their new stadium 2–1.[81]
On 4 September 2020, the stadium was renamed U-Power Stadium, following a sponsorship deal with footwear and workwear company U-Power.[186] Monza re-opened the east stand – which had been closed for 20 years – ahead of the 2022–23 Serie A season,[187] bringing the maximum seating capacity from 10,000 to about 17,000.[188]
Monza inaugurated their training ground,Centro Sportivo Monzello, on 3 November 1986.[189] It was renamed "Centro sportivo Silvio e Luigi Berlusconi – Monzello" on 12 June 2024, in honour of owner Silvio Berlusconi and honorary president Paolo Berlusconi's late father.[190]
The first signs of organised support emerged in the early-1970s with the founding of theultras groups Commandos in 1971 and Club Ultras Monza in 1972.[191] Eagles Monza emerged in the early 1980s.[191] After Monza's move to the new Stadio Brianteo in 1988, several ultras groups began to fold; Eagles was abandoned in 1992.[191] In 1993, Gioventù Brianzola was formed, and became the driving force of theCurva Sud; the group adopted the eagle as their symbol as a tribute to the defunct group.[191] In 1994, Sempre Al Bar (S.A.B.) was formed.[191] With the dissolution of other groups in 2001, S.A.B. became the main group of thecurva.[191]
Following Berlusconi's takeover of the club in 2018, attendance figures started to rise and new supporter groups began to emerge.[191] On 31 March 2022, Monza formed the AC Monza Club, a project that is aimed at uniting official Monza fan clubs by organising meetings, rallies and sporting events.[192]
TheCurva Sud of the Brianteo is also called "Curva Davide Pieri" in memory of a young fan who died in 1998.[193] The press stand – part of the west stand – was named in memory of Claudio Parma, a journalist andbiancorosso fan who died in 2008,[194] while the entire west stand bears the name of the historic fan Angelo Scotti, who died in 2018.[195]
Monza's main rivalry is with fellowLombardy club Como; it has been defined as the "hottest derby in Serie B".[196] The two clubs first played each other inComo on 19 November 1922, with the match ending in a goalless draw.[196] The rivalry began on 4 June 1967, when Monza beat Como 1–0 in the decisive promotion play-off match of the Serie B.[54] It became more intense on 13 April 1980; with Monza leading 3–1, Como equalised in the last minute with a penalty. The 3–3 draw ended Monza's chances of promotion to the Serie A.[196]
Another important rivalry is the one withPro Sesto, which is based in the adjacent city Sesto San Giovanni.[197] Historically, the two sides have had a tradition of beating the other away from home.[198] Monza also have a more recent rivalry with Pisa; in 2007, the two sides played in the Serie C promotion play-off final.[106] Pisa won in extra time, and opposing supporters began attacking each other.[199] In 2022, the two sides met once again in a decisive promotion play-off final, this time for the Serie A: Monza won in extra time, and reached the first division for the first time in their history.[137]
During the 1955–56 Serie B, Monza's first season after their merger with Simmenthal,[44] Monza's San Gregorio stadium hosted the first free-to-air televised football match in Italy.[45] The match was broadcast byRAI and commentated upon byNicolò Carosio,[200] and was played on 8 October 1955 between Monza and Verona.[45] The match ended in a goalless draw.[200] Monza earned ITL700,000 (€11,000[g]) from the broadcast.[200] Only 1,500 spectators attended the game because most fans were watching it on television in local bars.[200]
Italian actorRenato Pozzetto, in the 1979 filmThe Finzi Detective Agency, played a private investigator Riccardo Finzi, a supporter of Monza who said: "Io sono del Monza, non riusciremo mai a venire in Serie A" (I support Monza, we will never be able to reach the Serie A).[201] The line became a part of local culture and was used in a fan chant: "Il nostro Calcio Monza è in C1, e non andremo mai in Serie A. Ma io non mollerò, questa è la mia mentalità. Segui anche tu la squadra della tua città" (Our Calcio Monza is in the [Serie] C1, and we will never go to the Serie A. But I will not give up, this is my mentality. You too follow the team of your city).[202]
In September 2019, Monza launched theiresports team to compete inFIFA games.[203] They reached the 2021 FIFA eClub World Cup Europe semi-finals and were ranked 12th in the overall rankings.[204] In January 2022, Monza were awarded the "OIES Badge" by the Osservatorio Italiano Esports.[205]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Honorary chairman |  Paolo Berlusconi |
| Deputy chairman and CEO | Adriano Galliani |
| Sporting director and youth academy director | Mauro Bianchessi |
| First team technical coordinator | Sergio Floccari |
| Technical coordinator | Michele Franco |
| Chief operating officer | Daniela Gozzi |
| Club secretary | Davide Guglielmetti |
| Chief sales officer | Fabio Guido Aureli |
| Chief marketing officer | Francesco Bevilacqua |
| Team manager | Carmine Russo [it] |
| Press officer | Daria Nicoli |
| Press secretary | Enrico Cerruti |
| Supporter liaison officer | Vincenzo Iacopino |
| Head of youth academy | Francesco Panzerini |
| Head of grassroots program | Riccardo Monguzzi [it] |
| Head of women's activities | Roberta Antignozzi [it] |
Last updated: 23 December 2024
Source:[209]
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Alessandro Nesta |
| Assistant coach | Lorenzo Rubinacci [it] |
| Technical assistant | Massimo Lo Monaco Vincenzo Varrica Gianluca Polistina |
| Goalkeepers' coach | Alfredo Magni [it] |
| Goalkeepers' technical assistant | Gian Mario Petrelli |
| Athletic trainer |  Simon Barjie |
| Technical assistant – Match analyst | Enrico Allavena |
| Match analyst | Simone Bottitta |
| Athletic trainer's technical assistant | Marco Latino Andrea Curzi |
| Strength and conditioning | Francesco Rolli |
| Injuries' recovery | Romeo Nero |
| Injuries' recovery technical assistant | Gianni Bulgarini |
| Club doctor | Fabio Francese |
| Club doctor – Orthopedic | Francesco Paolo Santamaria |
| Head of healthcare professionals | Francesco Lo Moro |
| Healthcare professional | Dario Lorenzo Dameno Alberto Santorelli Davide Antonini Gabriele Piovera |
Last updated: 11 February 2025
Source:[210]
The following is a list of Monza managers throughout history.[211][212][213]
Cesare Lovati (1928–1929)Ettore Reynaudi (1929–1930)Leopoldo Conti (1935–1936)Silvio Stritzel [it] (1936–1937)Angelo Albertoni [it] (1937–1938)Leopoldo Conti (1938–1939)Alessandro Scarioni (1939–1940)Angelo Piffarerio [it] (1940–1942)Mario Antonioli [it] (1942–1943)Angelo Piffarerio [it] (1945–1947)Luigi Bonizzoni [it] (1947–1948)Oreste Barale (1948–1949)Annibale Frossi (1949–1953)Fioravante Baldi [it] (1953–1954)Carlo Alberto Quario (1954–1955)Pietro Rava (1955–1956)Eraldo Monzeglio (1956)Bruno Arcari (1956–1958)Pietro Rava (1958–1959)Manlio Cipolla [it] (1959)Attilio Kossovel [it] (1959–1960)
Hugo Lamanna (1960–1964)Vittorio Malagoli [it] (1964–1965)Vincenzo Rigamonti [it] (1965–1966)Bruno Dazzi [it] (1966)Luigi Radice (1966–1968)Bruno Dazzi [it] (1968)
Nils Liedholm (1968–1969)Luigi Radice (1969–1971)Franco Viviani [it] (1971–1973)Gino Pivatelli (1973)Mario David (1973–1975)Alfredo Magni [it] (1975–1980)Sergio Carpanesi (1980)Lamberto Giorgis (1980–1981)Franco Fontana [it] (1981–1982)Guido Mazzetti [it] (1982–1983)Alfredo Magni [it] (1983–1986)Paolo Carosi [it] (1986)Antonio Pasinato [it] (1986–1987)Pierluigi Frosio (1987–1990)Franco Varrella (1990–1991)Giovanni Trainini [it] (1991–1993)Nedo Sonetti (1993–1994)Simone Boldini (1994–1996)Giorgio Rumignani (1996–1997)Luigi Radice (1997)Bruno Bolchi (1997–1998)Pierluigi Frosio (1998–2000)Roberto Antonelli (2000–2001)Gaetano Salvemini (2001)Simone Boldini (2001)Romano Cazzaniga [it] (2001)Roberto Antonelli (2001–2002)Romano Cazzaniga [it] (2002)Simone Boldini (2002)Oscar Piantoni (2002–2003)Massimo Pedrazzini (2003–2004)Giovanni Trainini [it] (2004–2005)Antonio Sala [it] (2005)Giuliano Sonzogni (2005–2007)Giovanni Pagliari [it] (2007–2008)Dario Marcolin (2008)Giuliano Sonzogni (2008–2009)Roberto Cevoli (2009–2010)Alessio De Petrillo (2010)Corrado Verdelli (2010–2011)Gianfranco Motta [it] (2011–2012)Antonino Asta (2012–2014)Fulvio Pea (2014–2015)Alessio Delpiano [it] (2015–2016)Sandro Salvioni (2016)Alessio Delpiano [it] (2016)Marco Zaffaroni (2016–2018)Cristian Brocchi (2018–2021)Giovanni Stroppa (2021–2022)Raffaele Palladino (2022–2024)Alessandro Nesta (2024)Salvatore Bocchetti (2024–2025)Alessandro Nesta (2025–present)The following is a list of players and head coaches who are part of the Hall of Fame on the club's official website. All entries are players unless noted otherwise.[214]
Francesco Antonioli (1986–1988)Evaristo Beccalossi (1985–1986)Ariedo Braida[i] (1975–1977)Marco Branca (2000–2001)Ruben Buriani (1974–1977)Pierluigi Casiraghi[j] (1985–1989)Luciano Castellini (1965–1970)Alessandro Costacurta (1986–1987)Walter De Vecchi (1975–1978)Luigi Di Biagio (1989–1992)
Patrice Evra (1999–2000)Maurizio Ganz (1988–1989)
Jean-François Gillet (1999–2000)Nils Liedholm[k] (1968–1969)Daniele Massaro (1978–1981)Paolo Monelli (1978–1981)Emiliano Mondonico (1970–1971)Giulio Nuciari (1988–1989)Davide Pinato (1983–1988)Felice Pulici [it] (1977–1978)Luigi Radice[k] (1969–1970)Anselmo Robbiati (1987–1993, 2004–2005)Fulvio Saini[j] (1980–1998)Claudio Sala (1965–1967)Patrizio Sala[j] (1973–1975)Giovanni Stroppa[l] (1987–1989)Giuliano Terraneo (1974–1977)Marco Zaffaroni[l] (2004–2008).jpg)
The following is a list of honours and achievements Monza have attained throughout their history.[215]
Si è costituita a Monza, dal primo settembre, una nuova società per l'incremento del gioco del calcio, sotto il nome di Monza F.B.C. La nuova società ha fissato la sua sede presso il Caffè-passticceria Roma, sulla piazza omonima.
Fu nel lontano 1912, di questi giorni, che nella saletta terrena della Trattoria Cappello Vecchio, si diedero convegno i... plenipotenziari della Juventus F.B.C. [e] del Monza F.B.C. per concordare la fusione delle due associazioni e stendere l'atto di nascita della nuova Società.
L'Associazione Calcio Monza risultante dalla fusione del Monza F.B.C. con la Juventus F.B.C. [...]
Domenica p.v. per l'anzidetta I squadra, si apre un periodo di operosità, iniziandosi i campionati di III categoria ai quali l'A.C.M. è regolarmente iscritta. Il primo match avrà luogo contro la "Fanfulla di Lodi".
La prima squadra del "Fanfulla di Lodi" aveva la ragione dei Monzesi 3 a 1.
Domenica 8 corr. si sono inziate le partite per il campionato di promozione.
L'Associazione Calcio Monza – che ha visto le sue file non indifferentemente assot[t]igliate per la mobilitazione, – non ha cessato però la sua attività sportiva. Rimpiazzati i vuoti con ottimi giovanili elementi [...]
Con questa vittoria la squadra cittadina vince il proprio girone ed entra in finale.
L'Associazione Calcio Monza, promossa ai campionati di I Categoria [...]
Il goal del Monza fu seguito dalla mezz'ala sinistra Mandelli.
Gruppo lombardo: Girone B. Milan punti 11 – Pro Patria p. 8 – U.S. Cremonese p. 5 – Monza p. 0.
Con questa vittoria l'A.C.M. ha conquistato il diritto di rimanere in II. divisione [...]
La notizia che l'A.C. Monza ha abbandonata la pur gloriosa maglia bianco celeste per vestirne una bianco rossa, avrà stupito coloro che non sono al corrente con la scoperta del compianto prof. cav. Giuseppe Riva, che annullando quella precedente del prof. Ezio Riboldi, stabiliva per la "Bandiera communis Modoetie" i colori bianco rossi.
[...], ma il minimo di vantaggio acquisito prima, al 38', col rigore di Colombetti [...]
Il campionato 1955–56 sarà disputato sotto la denominazione "Associazione Calcio Simmenthal-Monza". Presidente della società l'industriale Claudio Sada proprietario della ditta abbinata, il quale durerà in carica un anno.
Dopo nove anni di abbinamento sportivo-industriale è giunto il momento di cessare questo connubio [...] La Simmenthal-Monza A.S. lascia alla ricostituenda A.C. Monza l'eredità gloriosa di due lustri di attività.
Infatti il Monza non è riuscito a vincere a Mantova pur disputando la sua migliore partita di questi ultimi due mesi.
Marcatore: Maggioni al 32' del primo tempo.
Solo l'exploit di un successo contro la squadra di Liedholm potrebbe ancora spianare la strada della Serie A ai biancorossi
[...] la palla perveniva a Caremi il cui tiro alla Mortensen batteva imparabilmente Carmignani. Al sesto minuto di gioco [...] Lanzetti falliva il facilissimo gol.
A cinque giornate dal termine del campionato, la squadra di Magni ha definitivamente stroncato la concorrenza con un vantaggio record salito a 13 punti.
A nove minuti dal termine il gol che condanna il Monza: [...] una deviazione di piede di Michelazzi spiazza nettamente Terraneo che nulla può per evitare la marcatura.
Col meritato successo del Pescara, il sogno della promozione in serie A è svanito per la terza volta.
Sette anni or sono gli abruzzesi negarono la promozione al Monza, ora ne hanno decretato la matematica retrocessione.
Dal 1981 [la Coppa Italia Semiprofessionisti] mutò nel nome attuale [Coppa Italia Serie C] intervallandolo per alcuni anni in Coppa Italia di Lega Pro.
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