“That no night is infinite”, sings Renato Zero. Adriano Galliani has certainly experienced endless nights, in the fifty years, the best of his life, chasing a goal. He who in reality, by his own admission, had a somewhat similar relationship with the football he played, but who always dreamed and then wanted to live by virtue of the ball.
The tale begins in the 74-75 season: actively participating in the fortunes of Monza by investing some money was a matter of the heart, which touched his territory but above all which caressed the feelings of a mother who passed away prematurely, and who, between dream and reality, always told him : “Adriano, you’ll see, one day we will be in Serie A.”
It really happened on one of those endless nights, in Pisa: the night of a liberating cry for an unprecedented undertaking. Monza in Serie A after 110 years of history is the work of Silvio Berlusconi, who crossed Galliani on his path in 1979 and who seven years later decided to land on planet Milan, giving our football the most unrepeatable pages, all punctuated by moments of joy in the stands that the CEO with the yellow tie has indelibly cut out in the filmed reflections of the best victories.
Adriano Galliani had a mission: to lead Milan to win in Italy, conquer Europe, take the top of the world. Fabio Capello’s ”Invincibles” will succeed, then Carlo Ancelotti’s ”Meravigliosi”, but first of all Arrigo Sacchi’s ”Immortals”. There are more endless nights: on May 1, 1988, the game was played in the afternoon, and it would be the day of Pietro Paolo Virdis’ brace and Marco Van Basten’s goal to definitively overtake Maradona’s Napoli in the championship. Shield on the chest. The following year Europe arrives: the Rambla of Barcelona looks like Viale Caprilli, at San Siro, when Milan plays. The Rossoneri invasion resulted in a 4-0 defeat on the pitch in Dutch sauce over Steaua Bucharest.
In Tokyo, in December 1989, the work was complete: Evani scored, Nacional Medellin was beaten and Berlusconi and Galliani’s dream came true. Fifty seasons and at least as many infinite nights. For example in 1999 when in Perugia a save by Christian Abbiati put Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Lazio in a league title that was lost at the last minute, or in 1994, the one where falling asleep was impossible. On May 18, in Athens, Capello’s Milan will play the Champions League without Baresi and Costacurta suspended; in the Senate Silvio Berlusconi awaits the vote of confidence in his government for the first time.
Between Rome and Athens the connection is continuous, the success is double, the celebration is total with 4 goals against Barcelona and 159 votes in favour: the ”Match of the Century” is won on two pitches, at Spyros Louis and in the Chamber. history is enriched in 2003 with the eyes of Shevchenko between referee and Buffon, in 2007 the sky is still red and black over Athens, and the infinite night is the one before the match: Inzaghi is not at his best, there is doubt with Gilardino. Pippo will play and decide with a brace. From Milan to Monza, the return home. From 74-75 to 24-25 the toughest season was the one spent experiencing football from the sofa, 17-18. Until September 2018, that Monday lunch in Arcore that transforms a rolled spaghetti into a romantic and virtuous football story.
May 29, 2022, in Pisa, is the night of nights: infinite and incomparable. From Goofy’s brace to that of the Viking, Christian Gytkjaer, to transform the ”Big dream” into reality. Monza is in Serie A and for a few weeks has been preparing the third season of its history in the top division. For Adriano Galliani his fiftieth in football: time passes, passion increases, successes “are and will remain forever…”.
