{"id":1273028,"date":"2022-05-14T20:00:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-14T19:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1273028"},"modified":"2023-05-14T20:06:09","modified_gmt":"2023-05-14T19:06:09","slug":"monza-serie-a-debutants-forgotten-players-evra-balotelli","status":"publish","type":"cult-corner","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/cult-corner\/monza-serie-a-debutants-forgotten-players-evra-balotelli\/","title":{"rendered":"From Evra to Balotelli, 9 players you might not realise once played for Serie A surprise package Monza"},"content":{"rendered":"

Traditionally a Formula One city, where its 120,000 residents are more concerned with cockpits than corner flags, Monza is gripped by football fever pitch as they’re currently enjoying their first-ever Serie A campaign.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What often looked like a Sisyphean task trying to climb up the Italian ladder and infiltrate the top flight changed in 2018 after former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and ex-Milan vice chairman Adriano Galliani purchased the perennially lower league club.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the four years since two of Italy’s most recognised faces left the San Siro and embarked on a new project in Lombardy, Monza has skyrocketed up the divisions and, for the first time in the club’s 109-year history, they are playing Serie A football.<\/p>\n\n

Berlusconi, ever the footballing arriviste, has invested heavily this summer to bolster Giovanni Stroppa’s squad, as he’s even talked up the possibility of reaching European football in the next few seasons. Monza are clearly not here just to make up the numbers and with three matches remaining find themselves sitting in ninth.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while the likes of Stefano Sensi, Gianluca Caprari, Pablo Mari and Marlon have all been drafted last summer, Monza have actually already had their fair share of top-level talent over the years, despite never previously being a top-flight club.<\/p>\n

Here we look back at some of those names…<\/p>\n

Mario Balotelli<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Monza appearances: <\/strong>14<\/p>\n

Years at Monza: <\/strong>2020-2021<\/p>\n

Mario Balotelli\u2019s topsy-turvy career has been him go from the glittering heights of the San Siro, Anfield and the Stade Velodrome, to training with Serie D side Franciacorta in 2020, current club Adana Demirspor in Turkey, and Monza two years ago. After leaving hometown club Brescia in 2020, Berlusconi used his pulling power to bring one of Italy’s most enigmatic and mercurial forwards to the Stadio Brianteo. It would be a short-lived fling, as the 32-year-old netted six goals in 14 games, but he did help them achieve a third-place finish in the 2020\/21 Serie B season, just missing out in the play-off semi-finals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Patrice Evra<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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?? Voc\u00ea sabia? Patrice Evra defendeu o Monza na temporada 1999-2000. Foi comprado pelo Monza por 250 mil euros, onde registrou 3 apari\u00e7\u00f5es na S\u00e9rie B. No final da temporada, ele deixou o clube, devido \u00e0s poucas apari\u00e7\u00f5es concedidas pelo treinador.#ACMonza<\/a> ?\u26aa pic.twitter.com\/ECttPlWzpp<\/a><\/p>\n

— AC Monza Brasil (@ACMonzaBrasil) May 4, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n