May 30 (Reuters) – ⁠AC Monza have been promoted to ⁠Italy’s top-flight after just one ‌season in Serie B, despite losing 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff ​clash against Catanzaro on Friday.

After ⁠the playoff ended ⁠level with an aggregate score of ⁠2-2, ‌Monza were promoted due to their third-placed finish in ⁠the Serie B league stage, which ​was higher ‌than Catanzaro’s fifth.

Monza secured promotion ⁠exactly four ​years to the day since their first-ever promotion to Serie A in ⁠2022, which came when ​they were owned by Silvio Berlusconi.

Berlusconi, the former Italian Prime Minister and media ⁠tycoon who previously owned AC Milan, took over Monza in 2018 when they were playing in Italy’s third ​tier.

After their relegation ⁠to Serie B in 2025, Monza ​were sold to U.S.-based ‌investment firm Beckett Layne ​Ventures.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)