Associazione Calcio Monza (), commonly referred to as Monza, is a professional football club based in Monza, Lombardy, Italy. The team plays in Serie A, the top tier of Italian football, following promotion from Serie B in the 2025–26 season.
Founded in 1912 as Monza FBC, the club spent much of its history in the lower divisions, narrowly missing out on promotion to Serie A on several occasions in the 1970s. Monza faced financial difficulties in the early 21st century, resulting in bankruptcy in 2004 and 2015. After being acquired by Silvio Berlusconi in 2018, the club returned to Serie B in 2020 after a 19-year absence and secured their first-ever promotion to Serie A in 2022. The club had previously held the Italian record for most Serie B seasons played without ever reaching Serie A (40).
Monza have won the Coppa Italia Serie C a record four times, the Serie C championship four times, and an Anglo-Italian Cup. The club originally wore blue and white, but adopted their current red and white colours in 1932; as a result, the team are nicknamed (the white and reds). Since 1988, Monza have played home matches at the Stadio Brianteo. The club's main rivals include Como, Pro Sesto and Pisa.
History
Foundation and first tournaments (1912–1927)
Monza Foot-Ball Club was founded on 1 September 1912 in the Cappello Vecchio , following the merger of the Monza-based clubs Pro Italia and Pro Monza. The new club established their first headquarters in the Roma coffeehouse located on the similarly named town square in Monza; the team initially wore a blue and white kit. Monza's first recorded game was against a team from Milan, while their first win came on 20 September 1912 when they beat 2–1 in Triante. The club won their first trophy, the Coppa Colli, in early 1913 after beating 3–2 in the final.
In November 1913, Monza FBC merged with Juventus FBC (a group of athletes formerly part of the sports club) to form Associazione Calcio Monza. Monza first competed in (third level) in the ; they played their first match on 4 January 1914, losing 3–1 at home against Fanfulla. The , Monza took part in the Promozione (second level), finishing fourth in their group of six. Despite the outbreak of World War I, when conscription forced teams to send their adult players to war, Monza were able to continue their sporting activity with young players.
Between 1915 and 1918, the war interrupted official tournaments. Upon the resumption of football in 1919, Monza took part in the (second level). Having finished first in their group, Monza played the promotion finals against , losing 2–1. The Italian Football Federation, however, decided to promote Monza via repechage, and the team were placed in , the top tier of Italian football. In 1919, Monza hosted the Czechoslovakia military national team for a friendly game at Grazie Vecchie field that ended in a 1–1 draw.
Monza were grouped with Milan, Cremonese and Pro Patria in their qualifying group for Prima Categoria. Their first game was played on 24 October 1920, a 4–1 home defeat to Milan; Francesco Mandelli scored Monza's lone goal. They finished the 1920–21 season with no points and in last place in their group. The following season, Monza finished second in their group, missing out on the final stage by one position. Due to a restructuring of the league system, Monza were moved to the Seconda Divisione (second level) for the 1922–23 season; they avoided relegation by beating Chiasso and Canottieri Lecco in the play-offs. In 1926–27, after beating Ponziana 3–2 in the final, Monza were declared champions of Seconda Divisione Lega Nord (third level) and were promoted to the Prima Divisione (second level).
and Serie B promotion (1932–1953)
During the 1930s and 1940s Monza played in Prima Divisione (third level), which became the Serie C in 1935. In September 1932, ahead of the 1932–33 season, Monza changed their shirt colours to red and white, which they have worn ever since. They became nicknamed "" (the white and reds) following the colour change. Monza finished in first place the following season and played a round-robin tournament with three other teams for promotion to the Serie B (second level); they finished fourth and failed to move up to the second level. On 23 April 1939, the club reached the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, losing 2–1 to Serie A side Genoa. They became the first Serie C team to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
Between 1942 and 1945, World War II interrupted football in Italy. Following the war, Monza were placed in Serie C (third level), finishing eighth in the 1945–46 season. They came close to promotion the following season, finishing third in the promotion play-offs. In 1947, Peppino Borghi became president of Monza. Monza, who were coached by Annibale Frossi, headed into the 1950–51 Serie C with a strong transfer campaign. On 4 June 1951, Monza played away to in the season's second-to-last match; Carlo Colombetti of Monza scored the match's only goal with a penalty kick, giving Monza their first promotion to Serie B.
Monza debuted in Serie B on 9 September 1951, drawing to Siracusa 1–1 away from home. The team only avoided relegation on the last matchday with a 2–1 home win against Piombino. Against most experts' pre-season expectations, Monza finished the 1952–53 Serie B in fourth position, three points behind automatic promotion in second place.
Simmenthal merger and aftermath (1955–1967) In July 1955, ahead of the 1955–56 season, Monza merged with Prima Divisione (sixth level) side GS Simmenthal, the football club of the food company. AC Monza was renamed AC Simmenthal-Monza, and was headed by Simmenthal owner Claudio Sada. The merger helped fund subsequent transfer campaigns. The match between Monza and Verona on 8 October 1955 was the first free-to-air televised match in Italy. Monza's first season under the new management was positive, finishing the season in third place. In the following years, until the end of their merger in 1964, Monza alternated positive seasons (fourth and fifth place in 1958 and 1961, respectively) with negative ones (16th and 15th in 1960 and 1964). On 14 July 1964, Simmenthal ceased to sponsor Monza and the club reverted to its former name.
Despite Monza's stable financial situation, no one was interested in purchasing the club; Sada decided to remain president for the following season. While Monza barely avoided relegation in the 1964–65 season, the same could not be said about the next season: following 15 years of second-tier football, Monza were relegated to Serie C in the last matchday of the season, drawing 0–0 away to Mantova on 19 June 1966. After winning the 1966–67 play-off game against Como 1–0, thanks to a lone goal by in the 32nd minute, Monza were promoted back to Serie B after one year.
Serie A promotion attempts (1969–1979)
Three years after their Serie B promotion, Monza came close to reaching Serie A for the first time in the 1969–70 Serie B under coach Luigi Radice; they needed an away win against first-placed Varese to keep their promotion chances alive on the second-to-last matchday. On 7 June 1970, after just two minutes of play, Monza took the lead through ; in the sixth minute, failed to double the lead, wasting a clear chance in front of the goal. Varese won 2–1, preventing Monza from gaining promotion.
In mid-1972, Giovanni Cappelletti became president of the club. In his first year in charge, Monza were relegated to Serie C after losing the last match of the 1972–73 season away to Bari 3–1. Despite their relegation, Monza saw success in the Coppa Italia Semiprofessionisti, reaching the finals in 1974, 1975 and 1976, winning the first two over Lecce and Sorrento, and losing the third in a repeat of the first final. Five matches before the end of the 1975–76 season, Monza were promoted back to Serie B; they also won an Anglo-Italian Cup on 19 June 1976, beating Wimbledon 1–0 in the final through a goal.
During the late 1970s, Monza came close to gaining promotion to Serie A on multiple occasions. The first time was as a newly promoted team in the 1976–77 season, when they lost the season's final match 2–1 against Modena through an 81st-minute own goal. The following season went in a similar fashion for Monza, losing out to direct promotion in the second-to-last matchday against Pistoiese. In the 1978–79 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. Monza tied with Pescara on points for third place and the two sides played a promotion tie-breaker, which Monza lost 2–0. In Cappelletti's last season as president, in 1979–80, 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 against Cesena and Brescia meant that Monza finished in fifth place, three points from Serie A promotion.
Valentino Giambelli presidency (1980–1999)
Valentino Giambelli became the club president in 1980, succeeding Cappelletti, and the club was renamed Calcio Monza. In the 1980–81 Serie B, Monza played in a championship with historical sides Milan and Lazio; both of whom had been relegated from Serie A following the 1980 Totonero scandal. Monza finished in last place and were relegated to Serie C1 (third level), but were promoted back . They remained in Serie B for a further four seasons before being relegated in 1986.
In the , players such as Alessandro Costacurta, Francesco Antonioli and Pierluigi Casiraghi, who later became established names in Italian football, made their professional debuts with Monza. Captained by Pierluigi Frosio, Monza gained promotion to Serie B in the , and also won their third Coppa Italia Serie C, beating Palermo 2–1 at home following a goalless draw away. The second leg, which was played on 11 June 1988, was Monza's last game in the Stadio Gino Alfonso Sada, after which the team moved to the newly constructed Stadio Brianteo. 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 club Roma; against expectations, Monza won 2–1 with goals by Casiraghi and Carmelo Mancuso.
After having closely avoided relegation in 1988–89 on goal difference, Monza lost the 1989–90 Serie B relegation play-off against Messina on 7 June 1990, and were relegated to Serie C1. On 13 June 1991, Monza won a record fourth Coppa Italia Serie C, beating Palermo in the final. They gained promotion to Serie B in the but two years later, Monza finished the 1993–94 season in last place and returned to the third tier.
In March 1997, Giambelli signed a collaboration agreement with Milan and Monza became a satellite team of the , the first of its kind in Italy. In June 1997, Monza returned to Serie B after defeating Carpi 3–2 in the promotion play-off final; they were coached by Luigi Radice, who had also helped them to promotion 30 years prior. The following season, newly promoted Monza changed most of their roster, introducing young players, many of whom came from Milan's youth sector. The team closed the season having been on the verge of relegation.
Financial instability (1999–2018)