The family of the late Italian prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi has agreed to sell Serie A club AC Monza to the U.S.-based investment firm Beckett Layne Ventures (BLV), marking the definitive end of the Berlusconi era in Italian football.
A statement released on Tuesday confirmed that 80 percent of the club’s shares will be transferred to BLV this summer, with the remaining 20 percent to be processed by June 2026.
The sale concludes a remarkable chapter in football that began with Berlusconi’s three-decade, trophy-laden presidency of AC Milan. After selling Milan in 2017, Berlusconi’s Fininvest holding company purchased nearby Monza in September 2018, installing his long-time right-hand man and former Milan CEO, Adriano Galliani, on the board. Together, they guided the club from Italy’s third tier to its first-ever promotion to Serie A in 2022.
Following Berlusconi’s death in June 2023, the family put the club up for sale.
The acquisition marks the first foray into football for Beckett Layne Ventures, a U.S. firm that has invested over $10 billion in the media and entertainment sectors. BLV was founded and is managed by Brandon Berger and Lauren Crampsie, who were previously involved in restructuring the commercial department at Chelsea FC. The firm reportedly views Monza, home of Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix and located less than 30km from Milan, as a club in a strategically important region.
Monza’s journey under Berlusconi saw them enjoy three successive seasons in the top flight, a run that ended with their relegation to Serie B last season after finishing bottom of the table with just three wins.
The sale makes Monza the latest in a series of Italian clubs to come under American ownership, following the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan, AS Roma, and Fiorentina.
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