Silvio Berlusconi returns to Serie A with Monza after playoff win

The celebrations of Monza fans in front U-Power Stadium during the match against Pisa, May 29, 2022, Monza, Italy. (Alessandro Bremec/LaPresse via AP)

ROME — Silvio Berlusconi is a Serie A owner again after his Monza club won a Serie B playoff Sunday to reach the top division.

Monza beat Pisa 4-3 in extra time for a 6-4 aggregate victory.

It’s the first time Monza, located near Milan, has reached the top flight in its 110-year history.

The 85-year-old Berlusconi bought Monza in 2018 and installed Adriano Galliani as CEO — reprising the same duo that found success at AC Milan until Berlusconi sold the Rossoneri in 2017.

Ernesto Torregrossa and Hjörtur Hermannsson scored in the opening 10 minutes for Pisa before José Machín pulled one back for Monza.

Christian Lund Gytkjær scored for Monza in the 78th to make it 2-2, which would have been enough on aggregate, but Giuseppe Mastinu’s shot from the edge of the area in the 90th restored Pisa’s advantage and sent the game to extra time.

In the first extra-time period, Luca Marrone and Gytkjær scored for Monza.

Serie B champion Lecce and second-place Cremonese had already won direct promotion.

Pisa and Monza finished third and fourth in the table, respectively.

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