There was a name that stuck out to any in the starting line-up for the friendly against Rapid Wien this evening as Paulo Fonseca opted to give Mattia Liberali a chance to show what he can do.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Fonseca decided to go with a 4-2-3-1 system and there were plenty of candidates for the playmaker role such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Daniel Maldini among others, but Liberali got the nod.
Born in 2007, Liberali has enchanted for the Primavera with his imagination and technique, his dribbling in tight spaces, his movement and his ability to create. In one-on-one situations, he is one of the best young Italians and he is not afraid because he is used to playing against older opponents.
The 16-year-old is from Brianza and played for La Dominante when he was younger, then in 2015 he moved to Milan and also began studying sport science at high school. If you search for him on social media, comparisons with Phil Foden pop up.
Liberali was compared to Foden by Billy Costacurta, who always watches the Milan youth teams and the comparison may seem bold but has a basis: there are similarities in the way of playing, even if Foden has more strength and more acceleration at present.
The teenager is currently a number 10, not a winger, and for many the step to take will be to improve athletically in his change of pace. However, his attitude is spot on according to those who work with him and watch him, so the feeling is he will reach his potential.
Liberali is currently training with the big boys but is more likely to shuttle between the Primavera and Milan Futuro. Fun fact: Milan risked losing him a year ago, in a situation similar to Camarda’s. He was without a contract and Benfica had made him a high-level offer: there was a project ready for him in Portugal.
Milan, with Antonio D’Ottavio working alongside Furlani and Moncada, convinced him to sign on July 18, 2023. A year later, he won a European U17 Championship with a shining role and now is a starter in Fonseca’s first game. A pathway is present, and he sees it.