MANTUA Among the many players who will wear the Mantova shirt again next year (many of whom have also extended their contracts), there are others who will no longer be part of the Acm. The most prominent is undoubtedly Gaetano Monachello. Beloved by the red and white fans, who still thank him for the deluge of goals scored two years ago, which were simply crucial to achieving salvation. Also loved by his teammates, for his generosity and the exemplary behavior he always had in the locker room: never an over the top attitude, not even when things weren’t working out for him. The director Christian Botturi has already informed him that he will not be part of Mantova 2024-25, despite his contract tying him to Acm for another season. A painful choice, certainly made reluctantly by the red and white manager and coach Davide Possanzini, who have always recognized the “Monaco” for considerable professionalism and human qualities (as well as recognized technical skills, of course). Until he finds a team, the Sicilian center forward will train with Mantua. But more than one company has already come forward for him. The one that has shown the most interest is Carpi, newly promoted to C. It seems there was also a meeting between the parties, with Mantova obviously interested in the developments of the matter. No agreement was found, also because Carpi must first evaluate the position of other players already on the roster. But the negotiation can take off. In addition to the Emilians, Legnago and Lumezzane did a survey.
Monachello would return to play for Modenese, after the experience in 2020-21 at Modena, which ended traumatically with him being left out of the squad due to physical problems. Up to that point, after various experiences abroad and a season in Serie A with Atalanta, he had stood out in Serie B with the shirts of Lanciano, Bari, Ternana, Palermo, Ascoli, Pescara, Pordenone and Venezia.
Monachello arrived in Mantua in January 2022 and, as we said, saved the team with goals: 11 in 16 games, a great revenge also on a personal level. With these numbers Monachello returns to the general limelight, attracting the attention of other clubs. But he chooses to stay at Mantua, who rightly pass off his confirmation as the real coup of the summer transfer market. Unfortunately, the 2023-24 season will prove to be very unlucky: in the second round of the championship (Mantua-Novara) “Monaco” breaks his cruciate. A very hard blow for him and for the team, which is floundering and unable to avoid relegation to the play outs. Precisely in the return play-out against Albinoleffe, Gaetano made his return to the pitch, taking over in the final minutes and trying in every way to score the saving goal. The rest is recent history: Mantova is readmitted to Serie C and Monachello shows up loaded with buckshot for the season of redemption. He won’t go well: after the first few games as a starter in which he fails to find his way to scoring, he ends up on the bench and has to settle for taking over during the match. Precisely on one of these occasions he finally broke the deadlock, in Caravaggio against Atalanta U23, scoring the 2-0 goal. But the feat was not followed up, even though he himself was the author of Mantua’s last official goal, on a penalty in the Super Cup against Juve Stabia. However, Possanzini has always taken this into consideration. He repaid him by never letting his commitment fail, and by putting himself at the service of his younger teammates with precious advice. His football parable is the mirror of the ups and downs experienced by Mantua in the last three years. The human depth remains, which Viale Te will continue to appreciate even when Gaetano wears another shirt.
