Monaco United FC – an ambitious new football club lands in the Principality | OneFootball

Monaco may be a micro-state, but it is one that will now house two football clubs. AS Monaco, founded 100 years ago, has been competing at the elite level for decades. Monaco United FC will begin from ground zero this year. “Well, not fully from zero because it is Monaco after all,” joked the club’s ambassador and World Cup winner Adil Rami during the club’s unveiling, attended by Get French Football News.

The location of the presentation, in the Méridien, overlooking the Mediterranean, has a particular significance to the club’s founder, Marco Simone. “25 years ago, in this very hotel, I signed my contract with an exceptional, historic club – AS Monaco. The club gave me the opportunity to become French champion. It is something that I can never forget,” said the Italian. However, as he sought to emphasise, Monaco United FC is not being created to rival his former club. “We are not here to bother,” said Simone, who stated that the new club’s significant financial backing will “help the project”.

“Our biggest rival today is ourselves. We have come to complement, not to compete (with AS Monaco), and we are coming to build something new,” added Morris Pagniello, the founder of Racing City Group, the partner of the new project. The focus on Women’s football, at the heart of the Racing City Group project, notably prevents Monaco United FC from stepping on any toes. AS Monaco does not have a Women’s football side, although there is a Monaco FF side competing in D3.

“Our mission is ambitious,” began Racing City Group CEO Justin Davis. “We want to create one of the biggest and best clubs and to be one of the leaders in women’s football […] it means significant investment.” The major goal is an ambitious one – to be playing in thr D1 Arkéma in four years’ time.

The hierarchy of newly-founded Monaco United FC. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle

Monaco United Women’s Football Club will start from a low base in either the fourth or fifth tier. The starting point for this team is one of many details still to be resolved. Beyond the administration, there is also a team to construct and coaches to appoint, if they are to be operational for the start of the coming season, in September. Houleye Deme, a former player of ASM FF, is already on board, but there is a long way to go. There is an acceptance that this project, worked on for the past year, will have to be accelerated in the coming weeks to ensure competitiveness for next season.

Rami to play for Monaco United

The same goes for the Men’s side. “I always dreamed of playing for Monaco, so there you go. I’ll play a bit,” revealed Rami when questioned about his involvement by GFFN. “It is a nice deal to give [the project] visibility. He is our first official player, you could say!” joked Simone.

Like with the Women’s team, there is a long-term vision with a mix of local and international players sought after. The scouting network of Racing City Group, coupled with their extensive academy network across Oceania, Europe, and North America, will aid the extensive squad creation process for the multiple sides under the Monaco United FC umbrella, including, eventually, the academy sides.

Adi Rami at the presentation of Monaco United FC. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle

Simone announced that a deal has been concluded that will allow the club to train and play at the Stade Didier Deschamps, that lies in the shadow of the iconic arches of the Stade Louis II, which houses AS Monaco. It is a stadium that they will hope to outgrow, but for that, there is work to do.

Pagniello announces Champions League ambition

“I think there is a lack of excitement for women’s football. It is something that I think is lacking here,” said Davis. However, there is great optimism about bringing the project a long way in a short period of time. “The first thing is filling this stadium and bringing the Women’s team to a Champions League final,” says Pagniello. Moving towards that objective starts with actually creating a team and that is the short-term focus in what is a highly ambitious and long-term project that could yet alter the footballing landscape within the Principality.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Monaco