American investor with shares in Man Utd confirms interest in Monza

Mario Joseph Gabelli confirms his fund is interested in buying a minority stake in Monza: ‘Let’s see what happens.’

Gazzetta reported earlier this week that Mario Gabelli, founder, chairman and CEO of New York-based firm Gabelli Asset Management Company Investors (Gamco), was in talks to buy a minority stake in Monza.

Gazzetta claimed that Gabelli’s fund had already made an offer to Fininvest, the company that owns Monza, which is run by the Berlusconi family.

“It is a very interesting project that a trusted young analyst, Alec Boccanfuso, has been following,” Gabelli (82) confirmed to Gazzetta.

“Normally we don’t invest in private companies; Our preference is for listed companies, but we think this is a good option in this case. We are talking about a fund project where I will not be involved in the first person.”

Gabelli knows Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso, but he will not be personally involved in the Monza project, assuming the two sides reach an agreement.

American investor with shares in Man Utd confirms interest in Monza

“I grew up in the Bronx with Rocco, but he is a real football fan and was a good player in his youth. I have played other sports and I prefer (American) football,” Gabelli admitted.

“Our fund has shares in the Knicks, Yankees and Manchester United, and we have invested in the Atlanta Braves. We mainly work with media companies, but with 3,500 analysts worldwide we keep a close eye on sports investments.”

Gabelli was born and raised in New York, but his parents moved to the US from a small town in the province of Parma.

“Italy is a country that I love. My parents were born there and it has a special place in my heart,” said the American investor.

“I am part of several Italian-American foundations and was Grand Marshal in the 2012 Columbus Day Parade. With Gamco, a few years ago we considered buying a building in Milan to establish our headquarters there, but that didn’t happen. Now we will see what happens with Monza.”

The Brianzoli confirmed this week that they were looking for business partners to develop the club’s project both on and off the pitch.

Currently coached by 2006 Italian World Cup winner Alessandro Nesta, Monza will be promoted to Serie A for the first time ever in 2022.