Milan Futuro captain Emanuele Sala has highlighted the positives that the team can take from the season, despite a painful end.
After being relegated from Serie C in their debut campaign in 2024-25, the Futuro had a much better season in terms of results. Their finish inside the play-off places set up a tie against Chievo Verona that they had to win inside 120 minutes.
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The game was 1-1 and went to extra-time, but a late penalty for the home side dashed any hopes of earning promotion back to the third tier on the field. Nonetheless, it was a much more positive campaign playing against opponents with much older squads.
Sala ‘optimistic about the future’
What is most important about the Futuro is that it provides a pathway to senior football, one that Davide Bartesaghi, Francesco Camarda, Christian Comotto and Kevin Zeroli have trodden. Speaking to the official website, Emanuele Sala – who could be next in line – shared his thoughts.
“I think the season went fairly well, especially since we achieved our goal of helping every one of us improve. I also think we grew a lot as a group. At the beginning, we needed time to come together,” he said.
“There were those arriving from outside, those who had already gone through the Under-23 pathway and those stepping up from the Primavera, so we didn’t know each other particularly well. But little by little, day after day and training session after training session, we managed to become more and more of a team, more and more of a family.”
Across the season, 42 players featured for at least one minute across Serie D and the Coppa Italia. Of those, 36 qualified as ‘underage’ players under the regulations of the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The youngest age group to feature consisted of players born in 2009.
“It’s a great feeling seeing them with us. It makes you understand one of the Club’s values: helping young players develop and bringing them into the First Team environment as early as possible,” Sala added.
“I went through similar experiences myself, having been helped by older players. Now, guiding younger teammates and helping them make the most of opportunities, settle in as well as possible and making sure we become even more of a team, that’s important.
“I’m optimistic about the future. I’m a positive person who always tries to find the best in every situation and every moment. But first and foremost, I focus on the present, on concentrating and training harder every single day.”
