Berlusconi‘s Post-Football Era Ends with โฌ240 Million Monza Loss
monza, Italy – September 26, 2024 – The final chapter in Silvio Berlusconi’s ambitious, yet financially โdraining, return to football ownership has closed with the sale of Monza to a consortium led by Adriano Galliani, revealing a staggering โฌ240 million loss on the club. The transaction, finalized today, marks โคthe end of an era for the โคformer Italian Prime Minister, whose foray back into the sport following his ownership of ACโ Milan proved substantially โless โคsuccessful.
Berlusconi acquired Monza, then a Serie C club, in 2018 with the โstated goal of propelling them to Serie A within a few years. While he โachieved that ambition – Monza secured promotion to theโฃ top flight in โ2022โค – the financial cost has been immense. The sale, while avoiding potential bankruptcy for the club, underscores the significant investment required to compete โฃat the highest level of Italian football and โคthe risks associated with ambitious ownership models. The deal’s closure follows Berlusconi’s death in June 2023, leaving hisโ holding โคcompany, Fininvest, to manage the sale process.
The initial investment in Monza totaled approximately โฌ100 million for theโข club itself, coupled โฃwith a further โฌ140 million injected to coverโ operational deficits and player acquisitions over the five years of Berlusconi’s ownership. Despite attracting notable players and achieving on-field โขsuccess, Monza consistently operated at a loss, heavily reliantโ on Berlusconi’s personal funding.
Adriano Galliani, who served as AC Milan’s long-time CEO under โBerlusconi, โspearheaded the acquisition.The new ownership group intends toโ stabilize the club’s finances and build a enduring model forโ long-term success. “This is a โbittersweet moment,”โฃ Galliani stated following the announcement. “We honor Silvio’s vision for monza,but we must now focus on ensuring the club’s future stability.”
The sale price was not officially disclosed, but sources โclose to the deal estimate it to be significantly lower than the total investment, confirming the โฌ240 million loss. This outcome serves asโค a cautionary โtale for other investors considering entering the volatile world of football club ownership, highlighting the delicateโ balance between ambition, financial prudence, and on-field performance.