A promising emerging team
Just days before the start of the French Cup and the league, the women’s team of Monaco United Football Club, led by Marco Simone, has just wrapped up a pre-season highlighted by two friendlies, including one of real prestige. Simone’s staff includes Fitness Coach Alexandre Gallet, Team Manager Serge Dubourdeaux, Stefano Prato Goalkeeper’s Coach’s and Davide Ribri, the team’s Physiotherapist.
The first match away in the club’s history was against the women’s team of Arles-Avignon. Symbolic in nature, it came only ten days after the start of training, with the primary objective of allowing the players to begin building their first automatisms. Mission accomplished, as the Monegasques showed clear dominance throughout the match, putting into practice the attacking philosophy instilled by Marco Simone. The result: a convincing 5–1 away victory, carried by strong team cohesion and technical superiority visible from the very first minutes. This unity is what makes us all part of this journey. Notably, it was Marina Makanza, a former French international (15 caps), who scored the first goal in the club’s history, from the penalty spot.
Shortly after, Monaco United experienced another historic moment with their first international trip, traveling to Milan to face the AC Milan U19 women’s team, one of Europe’s top football academies.
The occasion was all the more special for Marco Simone, a former striker of the Lombard club where he spent nine seasons, as he returned to Milan as head coach of the Monaco United Women’s team. For the event, representatives of the Racing City Group, leading partner in the club’s creation, traveled with the team. Hosted at the prestigious Puma House of Football Center, the players delivered a balanced first half, marked by intensity and commitment. The second period proved more difficult against the experience and quality of the Milan side, who took control physically and eventually secured a 5–1 win. Despite the defeat, the trip was rich in lessons, giving this developing team the chance to measure itself against one of the highest levels of European women’s football. Two founding matches, full of promise for the challenges ahead.
The Italian coach is building a solid squad
“I am delighted with the quality and progression of the team in such a short time. After only ten training sessions, everything can’t be perfectly in place, but I saw real consistency between the work done and what the players delivered on the field. In both Arles and Milan, I witnessed sequences of play in perfect alignment with the fundamentals I want to pass on, especially this forward-thinking, attacking style of football. It’s very encouraging for what’s to come.”
The Italian coach also reflected on the elements that allowed him to build a solid team, capable of meeting the high ambitions set by the club from its first season. These ambitions include not only competing at a high level but also promoting women’s football in Monaco and fostering a strong sense of community among the players and supporters.
“I built this squad myself, relying largely on video scouting and the ‘open days/tryouts’… and this work is still ongoing today. The team is a balanced mix of young players and experienced profiles, some of whom have already played at a high level. I also recruited players from other leagues to strengthen the group.”
First-ever Monaco derby: AS Monaco Women’s Football 2 vs Monaco United
The official season calendar, unveiled by the French Football Federation, already includes a historic date for the Principality. On Sunday, September 14, at 15:00 (location to be confirmed), the first-ever derby between two Monaco clubs will take place, as part of the opening match day of the 2025/2026 Women’s Division 5 championship. This is just one of the many exciting matches that Monaco United Women’s Football team will be playing in the upcoming season.
This match will pit the second team of AS Monaco Women’s Football (ASMFF), competing at the district level, against Monaco United Women’s Football, whose creation and immediate entry into competition have made such a moment possible—unthinkable just a short while ago. This derby is significant as it marks the first time two Monaco clubs are competing against each other, highlighting the rapid growth of women’s football in the region.
A symbolic fixture, once again demonstrating the richness of Monegasque sport. This derby not only highlights the growth of women’s football in Monaco but also serves as a powerful promotional tool for the discipline.
For Monaco United, it will already be a crucial early moment in a season full of promise. Their journey begins one week earlier, on Sunday, September 7, with a French Cup away match at FC Carros—Monaco United Football Club’s first official competitive game—before turning complete focus on the derby.
On this eagerly awaited clash, Marco Simone expressed his pride and enthusiasm: “The great beauty of this project is that it has created true competition in Monaco between clubs dedicated to women’s football. I believe this will help us progress with greater determination, pushing the game forward and making it a permanent part of our sporting culture. The birth of this derby is a magical moment for the entire Monegasque community. Some events will remain in history forever, and this first derby will be one of them.”
Marzocco Group, Official Sponsor of Monaco United 2025/2026
The Marzocco Group has become the official sponsor of Monaco United for the 2025/2026 season. A major player in the Principality, its commitment to the club represents significant support, particularly for this inaugural year. This collaboration reinforces the project’s ambitions and highlights the growing interest in women’s football in Monaco.
Claudio Marzocco shared the motivations behind this commitment, emphasizing two main aspects: “First of all, faced with the violence and injustices that too many women still endure, many associations have emerged to defend their rights and fight these issues. This is an essential approach, but we chose to be more factual and pragmatic: to align concrete actions with these demands. Becoming the sponsor of this new women’s team in Monaco is a way to truly stand by them, to do something tangible for the women of the Principality, by supporting a project mainly dedicated to them.”
It is a meaningful approach, rooted in fundamental values, Marzocco added: “Women’s football is still too often underestimated, but we are convinced that its importance and following will only continue to grow in the years ahead. By supporting this initiative, we want to contribute to the rise of women in football, through an ambitious project which, starting from the local level, is destined to develop to the highest stages.”
Beyond these reasons and the evident enthusiasm surrounding the initiative, Claudio Marzocco expressed his pride in contributing to the success and sustainability of a vision built and carried by Marco Simone, in whom he places complete trust: “I am proud to support my friend Marco. I know he approaches every project with passion and dedication. I especially value his commitment to such an initiative in Monaco, built around values I fully share: promoting women’s football locally and deploying every effort to raise it, season after season, to the level it deserves.”
