Silvio Berlusconi is aiming for a return to Italian football’s top table for the first time since selling AC Milan after his new club Monza were promoted to Serie B on Monday.
Monza were one of
three clubs moved up to the second tier alongside Vicenza and Reggina following
the Italian Football Federation’s decision on Monday to end the regular Serie C
season and promote the top team from each of the division’s three groups.
“Monza will build a
team ready to aim for the top of Serie B,” local newspaper il Cittadino quoted
Berlusconi as saying.
“Promotion (to
Serie A) will depend on a range of factors, some of which are unpredictable.
However some we know very well and we will try to make the very most of that.”
Berlusconi had
previously owned AC Milan for over 30 trophy-laden years in which the team won
five European Cups and eight Serie A titles.
He sold the club in
2017 to a consortium led by Chinese businessman Li Yonghong. American fund
Elliott took over the following year after Li defaulted on a loan to buy the
club.
The 83-year-old
media tycoon and former Italian Prime Minister then bought Monza for the
relative pittance of a reported three millions euros ($3.4 million) and
invested heavily in the team.
He also brought in
his historic right hand man Adriano Galliani to help guide the team to the top.
As a result they
were 16 points clear in their group when the league was suspended due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Berlusconi said he “never
had a doubt” about Monza being promoted, and added that he didn’t want his
outfit to be considered “Milan’s third team”.
The Lombardy club
is a stone’s throw from both Milan and Berlusconi’s historic residence in
Arcore, the reported scene of wild parties which some guests have alleged
descended into orgies.