A.C. Monza Brianza 1912

Monza
Full name Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912
Nickname(s) Brianzoli
Biancorossi (White-Reds)
Founded 1912
Ground Stadio Brianteo,
Monza, Italy
Capacity 18,568
Chairman Paolo Di Stanislao
Manager Fulvio Pea
League Lega Pro
2014–15 Lega Pro/A, 1st

Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912 is an Italian football club based in Monza, Lombardy.

Founded in 1912, Monza currently plays in Lega Pro, third division, group A, having last been in Serie B in 2000. Monza spent the last few years in Serie C1 and Serie C2.

History

Monza was founded on 1 September 1912. The club took the name of Monza Foot-Ball Club and adopted the blue and white colours.

It wasn't the merger of two clubs as commonly believed just because those teams Pro Monza and Pro Italia (both born in 1910) merged becoming the football section of a cycling team called Veloce Club Monzese which met Monza F.C. a couple of times always as winners.

The club's first win came on 15 September 1912 against Juventus Italia of Milan. The setting for the game was outside the town limits at Triante (Monza's west suburbs) commonly called "out doors", a pitch lent from the Township. There Monza F.C. played many friendly matches including the Colli's Cup. Monza won the Cup with a score of 3 to 2, defeating Saronno F.C. in the final.

When at the end of 1912–13 season that football section abandoned the V.C.M. for unknown reasons, they changed name in Pro Monza and asked Monza F.C. for merging with them and another team called Juventus (the football team of a gymnic monzese association called S.G.M. Forti e Liberi).

The merged club took the name of Associazione Calcio Monza, or commonly known as A.C. Monza. A.C. Monza entered the Italian Football Federation (F.I.G.C.) and debuted in the league system in the Terza Categoria (the lower level) in the season 1913–14, where they won third place in their section. After changing pitch in 1914 they entered the upper level, the top Lombardy's league called Promozione, where they finished in 6th.

Monza had been promoted top division (Prima Categoria, first category) in 1919–20 after ending second the Promozione finals, top level they played up to 1922. Relegated in Division 2 because of important changes in F.I.G.C. championships, was promoted to Prima Divisione (Division 1) (second level of Italian championships) at the end of 1926/27. Challenged several times the top charts and failed promotion after entering Prima Divisione finals in 1934–35.

In the 1932/33 season, Monza adopted its current colours, red and white.

In 1949, Monza's president Giuseppe Borghi goes on a spending spree, bringing in twelve players of value. He also hired Annibale Frossi as manager, a member of the Italian squad during their victory at the 1936 Olympics. On 4 June 1951, a 1–0 victory allows their promotion to the Serie B and the supporters exploded with unrestrainable and passionate enthusiasm.

During the difficult championship of the 1954–55 season bursts a managing crisis that puts Monza in the hands of Claudio Sada, owner of the A.C. Simmenthal (Simmenthal was a famous Italian corned beef cannery). A.C. Monza merged with Simmenthal in 1956 becoming A.S. Simmenthal Monza. In 1962 Monza celebrates fifty years of its existence, while two years after, on 28 May, the president of Simmenthal Monza leaves an official notice in which it announces the abandonment of the group as sponsor. On 8 July the mayor, Giovanni Centemero, asks Sada to stay and the president remains the guide for another year.

The sad summer of 1966 coincides with necessary rebuilding. The team is demoted to the Serie C after 19 years in the Serie B. The new players are younger, and with a fury of victories the team makes sure to regain promotion. In the final match against Como, the decisive game is played in Bergamo and Monza win on a goal by Maggioni. After one year they return to the Serie B.

In the 1969–70 season, Monza approached promotion to the Serie A under coach Gigi Radice. With two matches left, the biancorossi were within two points of promotion, behind Foggia, Catania and Varese. At the last game it was down to Varese and the "brianzoli". A loss to Taranto sealed Monza's fate. Monza is consoled only with the numbers: 11 wins at home, 15 total, with only one defeat standing between them and promotion. Goalkeeper Luciano Castellini was scored on only 7 times at home, with 19 goals against in the entire season.

In the 1972–73 season, a man who will become one of the more loved presidents of Monza, Giovanni Cappelletti, was hired. Cappelletti was a well-known industrial man and soccer player. A new era is born, led by Cappelletti and Italo Allodi, considered the prototype of the modern general manager. The field players are of high quality, but the mechanism jams in the demotion playoff. A trip to Bari ends in a 3 to 1 defeat on the last day, sentencing the Monza to the Serie C. Cappelletti does not throw in the towel and returns to lead the team again.

The Monza has played its first Italy's Cup of series C on 29 June 1974 to the "Porta Elisa" of Lucca, against Lecce. It ended 1 to 0 with a goal of Di Somma and the trophy comes delivered in the hands of the red and white captain Anzolin. The Monza twices win in the edition 1974/1975, defeating the Sorrento on 29 June 1975. The trophy was ended by the penalties. It finishes 4 to 3 with the final goal of Sanseverino. The following championship is one a real run wild. Monza wants to return in serie B and adjudicates the pass for the series B with five turns of advance payment. The look is turned to the final of the Anglo-Italian's Cup. Adversary is Wimbledon, a team which was renowned for its physicality, the Monza does not let to intimidate, and Casagrande firms the goal of the ko that worths the win of the prestigious trophy. A rematch of this final was played in a friendly in July 2013 at the Stadio Brianteo with Monza running out 3-0 winners over AFC Wimbledon.[1]

Luigi Di Biagio, midfield from 1989 to 1992

The 1976–77 season coincided with the first great illusion red and white. The Monza faced the B series with the label of "matriculation", but it very soon became one of the protagonists, to the par of blasonate formations like the Vicenza of Paolo Rossi and the Cagliari of Virdis. The defeat for 2 to 1 suffered in Modena preclude of a breath the play-off with Atalanta, Cagliari and Pescara. To the Monza the lean consolation of the score remains previously record (48 points) never caught up between the cadets. The Obstinate mister Alfredo Magni, reconfirmed to the guide, in the 1978/79 maintains the Monza in the high quarters of classifies; an incredible one "harakiri" to the "Sada" in the match against Lecce (0–1) prevents to the Monza the promotion directed in Serie A. Pescara trip up the Monza to the third party place and obtain the access at the final match on the neutral stadium of Bologna. The "abruzzesi", followed to Bologna by almost thirty thousand supporters, strike the biancorossi. It was the last time that Monza and his supporter cherish a dream called Serie A. Season 1980–81 marked the advent of Valentino Giambelli that took over the presidency from Cappelletti. The Monza began badly and ended worse: an irreversible crisis will carry it straight in the abyss of series C. After only one year, Monza returns in the serie B. The Calcio Monza to the penultimate day guarantees the return between the cadets storming Trieste. On the wings of the promotion it comes confirmed in park bench mister Franco Fontana, but the 1982/83 season was a very hard championship with team like Milan and Lazio. The mathematical salvation only arrives to the last day with the 2 to 2 of Bologna. In the 1986/87 there is space for the champions of the future: Alessandro Costacurta and Pierluigi Casiraghi. With Piero Frosio like mister, the Monza finds the return in serie B in the 87/88. Brianzoli unstoppable: they center the promotion and they conquer also the third Italy's Cup of Serie C in the delirium of the "Sada" Palermo for 2 to 1. The end is also the last match played in the old stadium. The following year the Monza is moved in the newest Brianteo stadium.

Christian Abbiati, goalkeeper from 1994 to 1998
The French of Senegalese descent footballer Patrice Evra, defender in the season 1999/00

In the season 2010–11 from Lega Pro Prima Divisione Monza was relegated in the play out to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione,[2][3] but rescued in place of Alessandria relegated for sports judgement. In the season 2011–12 it was relegated again to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.

New Owner

In April 2013, the club was purchased by Anglo-Brazilian real estate magnate Anthony Armstrong Emery.[4][5] The new President has stated that he wishes to use the Monza's connections to Formula One to increase the global profile of the club and aims for the team to play in Serie B in 24 months. He also plans to launch a new academy, the Telos Academy, in Monza and states he considers the business models of clubs like Udinese and Heerenveen, who are known for regularly selling players for a significant profit, as examples for Monza to follow.[6][7][8]

In the season 2013-14 Monza came 4th and was promoted in Lega Pro (third division).

Divisional movements

A.C. Monza was included before World War One in the Lombard championship of Promozione (second regional level)

Current squad

As of 14 February, 2015. [9]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Italy GK Marco Perniola
Italy GK Stefano Chimini
Italy GK Alfonso De Lucia
Italy GK Angelo Di Stasio
France DF Oualid El Hasni (on loan from Vicenza)
Italy DF Alessio De Bode
Italy DF Filippo Giorgi
Italy DF Domenico Frasciello (on loan from Benevento)
Italy DF Giacomo Lucarini (on loan from Genoa)
Italy DF Matteo Caracciolo (on loan from Sampdoria)
Italy DF Giuseppe Pugliese
Italy DF Giacomo Corduas (on loan from Trapani)
Costa Rica DF Gilberto Martinez
Italy DF Dario D'Ambrosio
Italy DF Davide Ferrara (on loan from Juve Stabia)
Italy MF Vincenzo Perna
No. Position Player
Italy MF Federico Valle
Italy MF Francesco Uliano (on loan from Mantova)
Italy MF Alessandro Comentale (on loan from Torino)
Italy MF Gianmarco Conti
Montenegro MF Idriz Toskic (on loan from Chievo)
Ghana MF Yaw Asante
Italy MF Matteo Pessina
Italy MF Gennaro Acampora
Italy FW Pasquale De Vita (on loan from Verona)
Italy FW Paolo Carbonaro
Slovenia FW Filip Valencic
Italy FW Daniele Bernasconi (on loan from Parma)
Italy FW Omar Torri
Italy FW Daniele Grandi
Italy FW Marco Gaeta

Notable former players

This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.

References

  1. Goldsmith, Lawrence. "Anthony Armstrong Emery hoping to create AFC Wimbledon community spirit with AC Monza Brianza investment". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  2. Samuel, 5 giugno 2011 (23 February 2011). "Pergocrema, salvezza che fatica! Il Monza retrocede | Lega Pro". Legapro.it.
  3. "E' Finita: Il Monza E' Retrocesso In Seconda Divisione – Monza News". Monza-news.it.
  4. "New Natal football stadium".
  5. "Anthony Armstrong Emery si è presentato al Brianteo". Il Sito Ufficiale dell'A.C. Monza Brianza 1912.
  6. Fordham, Jonny. "Football, fast cars and GRENADES...". The Sun. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  7. Doyle, Mark. "I want to make Monza cool' - Meet the Ferrari-driving English owner transforming Formula One's local club". goal.com. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  8. Welch, Ben (October 2013). FourFourTwo.
  9. "Team A.C.Monza Brianza 1912 (2012–2013)". AC Monza Brianza 1912 official site. Retrieved 7 September 2012.

External links