Soccer fans in the Italian city of Monza will be forever grateful to Silvio Berlusconi. The city club, best known for hosting the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, has been promoted to Serie A for the first time in 110 years after beating Pisa on Sunday. It was the former Italian prime minister's big goal when he bought the team in 2018, a decision he made after being forced to sell Milan the previous year after presiding over it for three decades. He wanted to continue linked to football.
It was his football partner, Adriano Galliani, who proposed to him during a meal at his home in Arcore, hidden from his family and the leaders of his company, to buy Monza, the team he supported as a child. Berlusconi, who had no choice but to cede Milan after a decline paralleled by his political and judicial scandals, was delighted with Galliani's proposal. He thought it was great to have a new soccer toy to play with.
So through his company, Fininvest, the leader of Forza Italia shelled out some three million euros for little Monza and began to invest for him to rise to the Olympus of Italian football. After two seasons he managed to get it up to Serie B. The board hoped to reach the first category last year, but in the end it couldn't be. Until now. After not being able to be part of the direct promotion positions, the businessman saw yesterday that his long-awaited objective was fulfilled after beating Pisa in the extra time of the tie.
Il Cavaliere dreams big: "It is a great joy for all of Brianza, one of the hardest working provinces in Italy, a joy they did not expect to have. Clearly, being in Serie A, now we have to aim to win the championship and then the Champions League”, he assured.
For his part, Galliani, who was born in the automobile capital, believes that it is "a dream come true" and is already asking the tycoon for money for new signings. In the four years that he has been at the helm of Monza, the club has already cost the former premier more than 70 million, who among others made sure that Ballotelli agreed to play in Serie B, who this season went to Turkey.
The owner, however, could not enjoy the match as he wanted. Berlusconi, who attended the decisive match with his partner, Marta Fascina, encouraged his team but also seemed to fall asleep at the age of 85 at the decisive moment.
