AC Monza Team eSports, or simply Monza (Italian pronunciation:[ˈmontsa]Audio file "It-Monza.ogg" not found), is the esports department of Italian football club Monza. The division was established in September 2019 as a FIFA team.
Monza formed their esports team in September 2019, to compete in competitive FIFA games on PlayStation consoles.[1] Simone Figura (Figu7rinho) and Raffaele Cacciapuoti (Er_Caccia98) were presented as the team's first pro players.[2] In May 2020, Er_Caccia98 won the European tournament of the 32nd edition of Futhead's Tuesday Night Football.[3]
Figura left in November 2020, and made way for Renzo Parave (Nzorello).[4] Monza reached the 2021 FIFA eClub World Cup Europe semi-finals, and were ranked 12th in the overall rankings;[5] they were the third-best professional football club in Europe,[5] and fourth worldwide.[6] In the 2021 eChampions League, Er_Caccia98 reached the final, losing to Danish player OliverPN;[7] he won $50,000 for finishing second.[8]
In January 2022, the Osservatorio Italiano Esports (OIES) presented their "OIES Badge" to a select few esports teams;[9] Monza and Inter Milan were the only two football clubs to receive the certification.[10]
In October 2022, Cacciapuoti was confirmed in the roster for the fourth consecutive year, while Parave was replaced by Lucio Vecchione (HHezerS).[11] During the 2022–23 season, Monza made their debut in the eSerie A,[12] finishing third, and won the Italian eSupercup.[13] Monza finished runners-up in the eChampions League a second time in 2023, with HHezerS losing to EmreYilmaz in the final.[14]
