AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca is seriously considering starting Francesco Camarda against Hellas Verona on Friday, a report claims.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Milan had the youngest team in the league on the pitch against Genoa with an average age of 24 years and 258 days. Over a year and a half ago against Cremonese they fielded a side that had an average age of 24 years and 165 days.
If the glorious past seems like a distant memory after the 125th anniversary celebrations, the goal is to write new pages in the future with home-grown talents. This is good news for Camarda, who wasn’t a starter against Genoa, so he couldn’t further lower the average age of the XI.
Fifteen minutes into the second half he came off the bench. Tammy Abraham had gone off at half-time due to a physical problem and Morata was clearly having an off night, with Camarda raising the volume from the fans pushing him for that first goal.
Hunger and desire
Camarda does everything the coach asks: he presses the goalkeeper and the opposing defenders, he fights for every ball and has the quality to be dangerous in the area. Against Red Star in the Champions League for example his header led to Abraham’s winner.
Now all that’s missing is his first goal with the big boys, but he needs service. Against Genoa he ran for a ball that seemed destined for a goal kick and hooked it back into the box, but at that point he was no longer inside the area ready to exploit his incredible sense for goal.
Francesco was the youngest debutant in the entire history of Serie A, a record set on 25 November 2023 when he came on at 15 years, 8 months and 15 days against Fiorentina. He started against Cagliari a few weeks ago at the age of 16 years and 244 days.
By scoring, Camarda could anticipate Roberto Mancini and Renato Buso, who scored at 16 years and 10 months. In the Champions League, however, Ansu Fati holds the record with a goal at San Siro against Inter when he was 17 years and 40 days, so there is still time.
Milan future
These are records and attention that Camarda has shown he can handle, also thanks to the protection of the club, his family and his agents. When he replaced the other Futuro star Mattia Liberali on Sunday, Camarda seemed like a veteran.
He moves with ease, without fear or consideration. He needs more time to score, maybe an entire match and not just simple snippets, and he might just get that on Friday at the Stadio Bentegodi.
Morata and Abraham are available but they are both in difficulty with regards to form. Camarda can play carefree and strong in the support of the crowd, hoping to show some of the wisdom he got from Pippo Inzaghi and Marco van Basten whom he spoke with at the weekend.
The Futuro may have been created to help players like Camarda but at the moment it is a valuable reservoir of new talents and he is needed now, in the present.
Honestly I would be happy if he plays Camarda, Jimenez and Liberali from the start. At least they will give it their best.
Yes I support.
I don’t think Liberali could do worse than RLC and Jimenez worse than Theo so far this season. What does Fonzie got to lose by playing them?
Liberali is still raw. I don’t think he’s ready for first team. The likes of Jimenez and Vos should get more minutes though.
Sure he is raw. But what good has RLC done this season? He’s been invisible in every match. Liberali did more in his debut than RLC whole season TBH. At least there is enormous amount of potential in Liberali. RLC? Well, he was good in few matches last year I admit that but I don’t think he’ll return to that level in Milan again. And he was still lacking consistency.
Clearly streets above the other two options.
Also Liberali on the right, Jiminez (obviously) and lets have Chaka, Vos and Stalmach on the bench… about time to give the senior players a kick up the butt…
I expect to be roundly disagreed with but I would now lead with Camarda and Liberali at 9 and 10 (with Liberali and Pulisic rotating their roles on the pitch).
Let’s grow them in a live setting. I don’t hold with the idea it will ruin them. Talent wise they are clearly good enough and psychologically, no one is asking them to Messi and Harland, no one is asking them to save us, just to simply not be any worse than RLC and Abraham (easy). We are no more likely to miss out on top 4 with kids.
I know it’s not FC25 and I’m usually very conservative with these things, but at this point I’d go full Fergie 92.
Ha, by the time I’d pressed Post (5 times!!!) other people had posted and NOT roundly disagreed with me 😀
100 percent agree, only thing extra I would say is play Terraciano instead of Emerson Royal and start integrating Bartesaghi more, it would then be time to sell RLC, Tomori etc and use money to help secure Ricci….
Well said
Yes, maybe because they didn’t buy a striker when it was time, so there are no other options. We have Morata who is better to run after defenders than score, Abraham who is injured every 2 games and Camarda that is a talent but needs to actually score. Striker that doesn’t score goals is not that great.
About time we get to see some young Italian players playing in this great club. I am certain they will give it their best unlike those over paid Super Stars.
Kudos to Fonseca for backing up his words and throwing youth on. Doesn’t seem like theres a lot left to play for this season. Might as well give them reps while underperforming senior players get their heads on straight.
If those old players are filling to big Fonseca should bench them and replace with youth team players whom has the ability and desires to play without fear and favour