So welcome back to Serie A for Lecce, Cremonese and, for the first time in their history, Monza.
Until this week, the only sporting association I had was Monza as a trip to the iconic circuit for the 2019 Formula One Italian Grand Prix (my son’s 18th birthday present).
Now, after 40 seasons in Serie B, not to mention some in Serie C, the club from Lombardy has reached the promised land in terms of football.
Even then it was achieved the hard way.
On the final day of the league season, Monza lost to Perugia and missed out on automatic promotion so, after finishing in fourth place, faced the play-offs.
In the semi-finals they defeated Brescia, who they had finished a point above in the standings, to set up a final against Pisa who they had finished level on points with.
The drama was only just beginning.
Monza triumphed 2-1 in their home first leg, while Pisa won the second leg 3–2 before two goals in extra time earned Monza a dramatic promotion. And after all this time, including plenty of promotion near-misses over the years, they are not simply here for a brief encounter.
Who would have thought it after the club was declared bankrupt twice (in 2004 and 2015), yet optimism abounds following Silvio Berlusconi’s 2018 takeover.
The key question now is can Serie A highlights await?
Well, they are certainly aiming to make their mark and strengthen their ranks.
Matteo Pessina has returned to his former club with the product of Monza academy completing a loan move from Atalanta.
The deal comes with an option to buy, which becomes an obligation to purchase if the Biancorossi secure survival next season.
He joins Stefano Sensi, Andrea Ranocchia, Alessio Cragno, Andrea Carboni and Samuele Birindelli as new faces in the ranks and director Adriano Galliani has reportedly opened talks with the intermediaries of ex-Napoli and Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani.
Cavani is available as a free agent after his contract at Old Trafford expired and would represent a real coup, even at the age of 35, as he bids to secure his place in Uruguay’s World Cup squad.
Marlon was all set to arrive on loan too from Shakhtar Donetsk until Sassuolo intervened, while talks are ongoing with Lazio for Francesco Acerbi.
Indeed, there is probably no busier Italian club in the transfer market right now.
And what of Lecce?
Well, they may well have snapped up a good deal in securing a season-long loan deal for Gianluca Frabotta from Juventus.
The left-back was an important figure in the Juve squad when Andrea Pirlo was the club’s manager two seasons ago but has been deemed surplus to requirements for 2022-23.
An opening in the loan market has also been taken with young AC Milan striker Lorenzo Colombo joining for one year with an option to buy.
It has been suggested Colombo is on the brink of a big season but needs this move to pan out of he is to get any chance at the reigning champions.
Come next month, the striker should get his first taste of Serie A football after consecutive loans in Serie B at SPAL and Cremonese. Such is his promise, Milan will maintain a buyback option in his contract in case the club wants him back next summer so this could be an astute move for both clubs.
As for Cremonese, it is a welcome return.
Cremonese was actually in Serie A in its first season, 1929–30, but entered a long period of decline, languishing in the lower leagues before the late 1970s. By 1984, they had achieved promotion to Serie A, with one-year spells in 1984–85, 1989–90 and 1991–92.
Despite achieving promotion, coach Fabio Pecchia resigned from his post to stay in Serie B and take on a new challenge at Parma.
Massimiliano Alvini is now in the hotseat after he terminated his contract by mutual consent with Perugia. Now for the job of strengthening the squad.
The only arrivals for a fee to date are midfielder Tommaso Milanese from Roma and Johan Vasquez on loan from Genoa but that will surely change. After the thrilling end to last season at both top and bottom, few may give these clubs a chance but there are three teams less fancied when it comes to the Serie A betting odds (Sampdoria, Salernitana and Spezia) so perhaps all three can make their stay in the top flight more than a brief sojourn.
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