Position: 11th
Points: 52
Previous season: Serie B
Best Serie A scorer: Patrick Ciurria, six goals in 36 games
Rating: 8/10
Season Overview
Showing no lack of desire and ambition, Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani set out last summer to construct a squad with staying power, spending on a fresh new haul of 23 players with vast experience in the Italian top-flight. With 52 points, Monza were the best newly-promoted team in Europe’s top 5 leagues in 2022-23. It was Berlusconi’s latest football masterpiece. Initially, a warm embrace for the Serie A debutants turned sour when the realities of first-tier football saw the Brianzoli stumble out of the starting gates. Earning just one point under Giovanni Stroppa, Raffaele Palladino managed to steer the club back on track. Steadily climbing up the table with notable wins along the way over Juventus, Inter and Napoli, Monza’s near record-setting debut season with 52 points ensured a spot in the 2023-24 Serie A campaign with plenty of room to spare.
Turnaround moment
Sitting in the cellar after six rounds, the decision to stop the bleeding and sack Stroppa could
easily be considered the defining moment that saved their season. Palladino’s swift transition from coaching the under-19s to Calcio’s main stage with the first team brought immediate success. Forging an identity and carving out a clear, repeatable style of attacking play inspired by his most considerable tactical influence Gian Piero Gasperini, the Italian’s tactical adjustments helped maximize the abundance of talent acquired in a 3–4-2-1 and turned the Brianzoli into a formidable foe opposing clubs simply did not want to confront.
The coach – Raffaele Palladino
Earning Serie A Coach of the Month honours for April, Palladino’s wins over Udinese, Inter,
Fiorentina and Spezia secured their safety a month ahead of schedule – a true testament to his
adeptness at learning and adjusting on the fly amidst pressure. As a result of his coaching efforts, the 39-year-old began receiving plaudits and praise up and down the Italian football pyramid, as well as interest from some of Serie A’s larger clubs. However, Berlusconi spent no time rewarding his coach, tabling a contract extension through the 2024 season.
Player of the season – Carlos Augusto
Since joining Monza prior to their Serie B excursion in 2020, Carlos Augusto has embraced a prominent role at the club. Appearing in at least 30 matches the last two seasons, the Brazilian was naturally relied upon as one of Stroppa’s core players in the 3-5-2 before undertaking perhaps more responsibility as Palladino often utilized him in a bench of areas; central defender, wingback and in the midfield. Though sitting in predominantly defensive roles, Palladino’s attacking mindset thrust many into zones conducive to finding goal chances, Augusto included. With over 35 appearances and 3,000 league minutes logged, the former Corinthians prospect was tied for the club’s leading scorer honours with six to his credit, along with assisting a further five in an outstanding campaign to capture the interest of top clubs.
Disappointing player of the season – Gianluca Caprari
Arriving as one of many new loanees, the expectation was that Gianluca Caprari could be a steady centre-forward presence and replicate his Verona form from last year, where he directly contributed to 19 goals (12 scored, seven assisted in 35 appearances). However, despite featuring 37 times and compiling 2,464 minutes, the well-travelled Italian fell short of providing the lion’s share of Monza’s goal production up front with just five to his credit. Context does matter in the case of Caprari’s season, though, as he was often called to drop into deeper roles for Palladino to carry out his vision and ultimately drifted further from goal, where he has shown a knack for the back of the net. It remains unclear what direction Monza will go in reshaping their attack to find a solution to their lack of a true goal scorer, but as of this last season, Caprari failed to prove he is the man for the job.