CLUB SNAPSHOT: At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Club | AC Monza |
| League | Serie A |
| Manager | Ivan Jurić |
| Stadium | U-Power Stadium |
| Nickname | I Biancorossi |
| Founded | 1912 |
| First-Choice Pivot | Matteo Pessina (injured) |
| Key Signing | Ebenezer Akinsanmiro |
| Creative Option | Andrea Colpani |
| Notable Absence | Matteo Pessina (knee injury) |
The Defining Moment
Monza’s 2026/27 midfield was defined by an injury that struck before the season had even found its rhythm. Matteo Pessina, the captain and the player around whom Ivan Jurić intended to build his midfield, suffered a knee problem in August that ruled him out “a lungo”—for a long time. The club’s response was immediate and revealing: they returned to the market in search of a replacement, with Kristjan Asllani of Inter emerging as the primary target.
The defining moment, then, was not a signing but a scramble. Monza had spent the summer assembling a young, ambitious squad—Ebenezer Akinsanmiro arrived from Inter after a loan at Pisa, Foe Ondoa from Estoril Praia on a contract until 2030, and Andrea Colpani returned to provide creativity. The plan was built around Pessina’s leadership and experience. Without him, Jurić was left with talent but not direction.
This is the story of Monza’s 2026/27 midfielders: a department built on youth and potential, forced to grow up faster than intended, and defined by the question of whether it can compensate for the absence of its captain.
Tactical Context
Jurić arrived at Monza with a reputation for aggressive, intense football. The club’s official announcement described him as “un allenatore di grande carisma ed esperienza, capace di portare alle sue squadre intensità e un gioco aggressivo e spregiudicato”. His preferred structure at Monza has been a 3-4-2-1, a shape that places two central midfielders in front of the back three and two trequartisti behind a lone striker.
The numbers tell a story of a team struggling for balance. Monza conceded 22 goals in their opening nine league matches, an average of 2.44 per game, the worst defensive record in the division at that stage. The midfield’s ability to screen the defence and control transitions was the central problem. The 4-0 victory over Cagliari in October demonstrated what was possible when the structure held, but the 4-1 defeat to Napoli in the following match exposed how fragile that structure remained.
The personnel reflect the club’s youthful identity. Managing director Mauro Baldissoni described the squad as “una Under 23″—an under-23 team—and acknowledged that “tutti stanno dimostrando di poter stare a questo livello”. Akinsanmiro, at 21, has been the most consistent presence in the double pivot, his energy and ball-winning capacity central to Jurić’s pressing demands. Ondoa, at 20, offers technical quality and creativity, while Colpani provides the kind of individual brilliance that can turn a match.
The structural concern is experience. With Pessina absent, the midfield lacks a player who has navigated Serie A relegation battles before. The young players have talent, but talent without guidance is a fragile foundation.
The Midfielders
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro
Akinsanmiro is Monza’s most important midfielder and the player Jurić has entrusted with the defensive pivot role. The 21-year-old arrived from Inter in August 2026 after a loan spell at Pisa, signing a contract until June 2027 with a market value of approximately €7.7 million. His decision to choose Monza over other options reflected a desire for regular first-team football, and Jurić has given it to him.
His profile is that of a modern defensive midfielder: aggressive in the press, mobile enough to cover ground in a double pivot, and capable of recycling possession under pressure. He is not the most physically imposing player, but his reading of danger and his willingness to engage in duels have made him indispensable in a midfield that has otherwise been in flux.
At 21, Akinsanmiro is still developing. The absence of Pessina has placed a greater burden on him than anticipated, and the defensive record suggests the midfield screen has not always functioned. But his individual performances have been encouraging, and his development is central to Monza’s survival hopes.
Foe Ondoa
Ondoa arrived from Estoril Praia in July 2026 on a contract until 2030, a signing that reflected Monza’s strategy of investing in young players with resale potential. The 20-year-old Frenchman offers a different profile to Akinsanmiro: more creative, more comfortable in advanced positions, and capable of arriving in the box.
His adaptation to Serie A has been gradual. Ondoa has featured regularly but has yet to establish himself as a consistent starter, his involvement fluctuating depending on Jurić’s tactical choices and the form of others. At 20, he has time, but Monza’s relegation battle demands immediate contributions.
Andrea Colpani
Colpani is the most naturally gifted attacking midfielder in the squad and the player most capable of producing a moment of individual brilliance. The 27-year-old returned to Monza after his loan spell at Fiorentina and has been deployed as one of the two trequartisti in Jurić’s 3-4-2-1.
His profile is that of a modern No. 10: comfortable in tight spaces, capable of beating a man, and possessing a shot from distance that can change a game. When Colpani is engaged and confident, he is Monza’s most potent attacking threat. The challenge for Jurić is keeping him involved when the team is struggling for possession and he is forced to feed on scraps.
Matteo Pessina
Pessina’s season has been defined by absence. The captain and Italy international suffered a knee injury in August that ruled him out for an extended period, removing the midfield’s most experienced and authoritative presence. His return date remains uncertain, and his absence has forced Jurić to rely on younger, less proven players.
When fit, Pessina offers something no other Monza midfielder possesses: the ability to control tempo, organise the players around him, and deliver in decisive moments. At 29, he is in his prime. Whether he returns in time to influence Monza’s survival bid is the question that will define the second half of the season.
Idrissa Touré
Touré provides physical presence and energy in the midfield rotation. The 28-year-old German-born Guinean offers a different profile to the younger players around him: more experienced, more physically imposing, and capable of operating in a more conservative role when Jurić needs to protect a lead.
His involvement has been limited by the form of Akinsanmiro and the tactical shifts that have reduced the need for a dedicated destroyer. But in a relegation battle, his experience could be valuable.
Omari Forson
Forson is a young attacking midfielder with potential but limited first-team exposure. The 22-year-old former Manchester United academy product provides depth in the trequartista positions, though his opportunities have been restricted by the form of Colpani and the emergence of other young players.
The Numbers Game
TABLE A: Monza Midfielder Serie A Statistics (2026/27)
| Player | Apps (Starts) | Goals | Assists | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebenezer Akinsanmiro | 7 (7) | 0 | 0 | Defensive Midfielder |
| Foe Ondoa | 6 (4) | 0 | 0 | Central Midfielder |
| Andrea Colpani | 7 (6) | 1 | 0 | Attacking Midfielder |
| Idrissa Touré | 5 (2) | 0 | 0 | Central Midfielder |
| Omari Forson | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | Attacking Midfielder |
| Matteo Pessina | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | Captain (injured) |
TABLE B: Monza Midfield – Key Metrics (Serie A 2026/27)
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Goals from Midfield | 1 | Colpani |
| Team Goals Conceded | 22 | In 9 matches |
| Goals Conceded per 90 | 2.44 | Worst in Serie A at that stage |
| Team Position | 16th | 7 points from 9 matches |
| Akinsanmiro Market Value | €7.7m | Among squad’s most valuable |
TABLE C: Monza Midfielders – Squad Profile
| Player | Age | Contract Until | Market Value | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebenezer Akinsanmiro | 21 | 2027 | €7.7m | First-choice pivot |
| Andrea Colpani | 27 | 2027 | €5.5m | First-choice AM |
| Foe Ondoa | 20 | 2030 | €1.7m | Rotation CM |
| Idrissa Touré | 28 | 2027 | €1.1m | Squad depth |
| Omari Forson | 22 | 2028 | €1.5m | Development |
| Matteo Pessina | 29 | 2027 | €5.0m | Captain (injured) |
Tactical Identity & Squad Balance
Monza’s midfield is a unit defined by youth and improvisation. The club’s summer recruitment focused on players in their early twenties—Akinsanmiro at 21, Ondoa at 20, Forson at 22—with the intention of building a squad capable of growing together. The injury to Pessina disrupted that plan, forcing Jurić to accelerate the development of players who were meant to be integrated gradually.
The numbers reflect the struggle. One goal from midfield in nine matches is a meagre return, and the defensive record of 22 goals conceded is the worst in the division. The midfield screen that was supposed to protect the back three has been bypassed repeatedly, and the creative output that was supposed to supply the forwards has been intermittent at best.
The deeper issue is balance. Akinsanmiro and Ondoa are both young, both developing, and both learning the demands of Serie A in a relegation battle. Colpani offers creativity but not defensive solidity. Touré offers physicality but not creativity. Without Pessina to tie the pieces together, the midfield has been a collection of individuals rather than a functioning unit.
The Verdict from the Camp
On Pessina’s injury and the search for a replacement:
“L’infortunio di Matteo Pessina, che terrà fuori a lungo il capitano del Monza, costringe il club brianzolo a rimettersi sul mercato in un ruolo diverso da quelli su cui stava finora lavorando… tra i nomi valutati è tornato ad esserci quello di Kristjan Asllani.”
On the squad’s youthful identity:
“Più che di Varela in sé, tutti i ragazzi, altrettanto se non più giovani di lui, stanno dimostrando di essere all’altezza della Serie A, nonostante siano alla prima esperienza e alcuni addirittura alla prima esperienza nei professionisti. Di fatto la nostra è una Under 23, ma tutti stanno dimostrando di poter stare a questo livello.” — Mauro Baldissoni, CEO
On the midfield hierarchy:
“Foe Ondoa, Akinsanmiro, Colpani” — La Gazzetta dello Sport’s projected starters for Monza’s midfield
Where Next?
The specific question hanging over Monza’s midfield is whether Pessina can return in time to provide the leadership and experience that the department has lacked. His knee injury removed the one player capable of organising the players around him, and the younger midfielders have struggled to compensate.
That makes Pessina’s recovery the most important variable. If he returns in December or January and recaptures his form, Monza gain a midfielder capable of controlling tempo and delivering in decisive moments—qualities that no other player in the squad possesses. If he cannot, Jurić must continue to rely on Akinsanmiro and Ondoa, whose talent is undeniable but whose inexperience has been exposed in a relegation battle.
The deeper concern is the future. Akinsanmiro’s contract expires in 2027, and his performances may attract interest from larger clubs. Colpani’s return to Monza was a coup, but his form has been inconsistent. The midfield that takes the field next season, regardless of division, will require reinforcement.
For now, Monza’s midfielders are fighting against a structure that has not yet coalesced and a season that has demanded immediate results. The 4-0 victory over Cagliari demonstrated what is possible when the pieces fit. Whether Jurić can make that the norm rather than the exception will determine whether the Biancorossi are playing Serie A football next season.
