With the season now over, Storie Biancorosse has reached its final episode after an outstanding year: a journey into the Youth Academy, filled with unforgettable afternoons, challenges and magical experiences.
The eighth episode of the series features a special group, telling a reflective and moving story capable of touching the heart of every viewer.
There are moments when football becomes an educational and social tool that breaks down barriers and creates relationships; moments when the game turns into a universal language capable of involving and empowering everyone without distinction, offering unique and genuine emotions. It is from this idea that Monza Special was born, the Club’s inclusive project dedicated to young people with intellectual and relational disabilities, who experience football every week with enthusiasm, passion and a strong sense of belonging.
Affiliated with the FIGC's Paralympic and Experimental Football Division (DCPS), the team represents one of the most significant expressions of AC Monza’s social commitment. The DCPS promotes Paralympic football through structured competitions and sporting pathways designed to help every athlete improve, regardless of their challenges.
For the players of Monza Special, football is not just about playing matches; it is a shared growth experience. Training sessions, friendlies, league matches, tournaments and various events become opportunities to build friendships, strengthen self-confidence and feel like an integral part of the great biancorossi family.
The coaching staff, made up of Marco Turoli, Andrea Longoni and Christian Mauri, is coordinated by Luca Varano. Together with Elena Altobrando, President and Head of Monza Special, they work every day with commitment, love and a touch of healthy madness to carry forward this wonderful project.
“We are all volunteers driven by passion and a true vocation for football. Personally, I have been part of this world for almost twenty years. Over time, you increasingly become a complete point of reference for your players and it becomes very difficult to detach yourself from them. The boys are very demanding in terms of time and energy, but the satisfaction, smiles and emotions they give back are priceless and impossible to describe in words. Once you step onto the pitch with them, you are 100% involved in everything they do and experience”, said Varano.
He continued: “Our primary goal is to help every player become as independent as possible, both on and off the pitch. At the same time, from day one we have worked to create a team, a community and a strong, united family that can also spend time together outside the dressing room. The group is our greatest strength, together with the seriousness and professionalism that every member of Monza Special strives to demonstrate. Despite difficulties, adverse weather conditions, personal challenges and even after long working days, no one ever misses training”.
“We try to prepare our players as well as possible to face any challenge, constantly raising the standard and maintaining it against every opponent. During the first part of each training session, the athletes warm up and work on both their fitness and ball skills, before moving on to game simulations and small-sided matches. Before every session, we hold a briefing at midfield where we review the previous weekend’s commitments together. This is a very important moment for us because we encourage the players themselves to understand and recognize where they could have done better. Admitting mistakes and talking about them is not easy for them, but they know - and we are proud of this - that the coaching staff is here solely to help them improve. In this environment, empathy, confidence and peace of mind, both on and off the pitch, are essential”, commented the coach.
“This season the team consistently maintained a high level, which allowed us to win the Lombardy Regional DCPS Third-Level Championship. The players gave everything, achieving excellent results by winning almost every match, scoring plenty of goals and remaining near the top of the standings throughout the year. Similar to the Primavera 1 Championship, the title is not awarded to the team that finishes first in the table, but to the team that wins the playoffs. The final match was an emotional rollercoaster and in the end we prevailed in a penalty shootout. The decisive penalty was scored by Roberto Liuzzo, the team’s historic captain. It was an immense joy and an emotional moment that secured our qualification for the National Finals at Coverciano and promotion to the Second-Level Championship”, added Varano.
“The National Finals in Coverciano”, continued the Monza Special coach, “were an absolutely fantastic and inspiring experience, a unique and powerful emotion that allowed the players to fully experience what real football is all about. We faced extremely strong and competitive teams that had won their respective regional third-level championships. Despite some difficulties, we won every match by playing with courage and intensity, suffering defeat only in the final. Perhaps we arrived at the last game a little tired and drained, but finishing as runners-up in all of Italy is an enormous source of pride”.
“On that note, I would sincerely like to thank the Club on behalf of everyone at Monza Special for the support, trust and respect it has shown us since day one, because without it we would never have reached this point in our journey. The Club’s availability and involvement in various activities are also fundamental for us. Whenever possible, we train at the Centro Sportivo Silvio and Luigi Berlusconi-Monzello, we are always present at the stadium to support the First Team during home matches and as a staff we actively participate in the technical meetings organized for AC Monza’s Affiliated Clubs”, concluded Luca Varano.
The magnificent and prestigious victory in the 5th edition of the “Tardini For Special” tournament, held in Parma a few days ago, officially brought to a close a truly wonderful season.
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