It has been a positive last few days for Francesco Camarda, and Ruben Amorim has a plan in mind to make sure the good times continue.
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On Thursday, Camarda signed his contract renewal with Milan until 2031. On Friday, the official announcement came. On Saturday, two goals in just a few minutes arrived in the friendly against Celtic, followed by Amorim’s confirmation after the game that he will stay at the club.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, it’s hard to imagine a more emotional 72 hours for Camarda, a product of the Milan youth academy and a boyhood fan. Last season at Lecce didn’t go as hoped, largely due to a shoulder injury that kept him out over three months, but 2026-27 has started well.
He knows full well that he hasn’t ‘arrived’ yet and that he has something to prove in every training session and every match, but he has a chance to seize. Now he’ll fight to the end, with the enthusiasm an 18-year-old can muster in a similar situation.
The ‘Rossonero Pio’?
Camarda will have time to grow and learn by training with the first team, but his status is no longer that of a young player needing to prove himself. He already has 33 Serie A appearances under his belt for Milan and Lecce, plus four Champions League games.
Amorim has realised in just a few training sessions that Camarda seems to be ready. Furthermore, he can be placed on List B when naming the squad because he’s under 21 and has two seasons in Milan’s youth system.
The starting centre-forward is naturally Gonçalo Ramos, but Camarda is still aiming to carve out a place for himself. It could be like another Francesco: Pio Esposito, who started out in the doldrums and then played a key role in Inter’s Scudetto win.
The mandatory rotation due to participation in the Europa League could help Camarda, and he ‘intends to be ready’ as he said following Saturday’s game. He holds the record for the youngest debutant in Serie A history at 15 years, 8 months, and 15 days. Now, he is chasing more records.
Aiming high again
In Milan’s youth academy, he always played with older age groups and was also coached by Ignazio Abate, who led the Primavera (in 2023-24) and is currently the coach of Torino, the Rossoneri’s opponents on the opening day of Serie A.
Naturally, he has been through the ranks of the youth national teams, and his Azzurri numbers are impressive: 6 goals in 9 appearances for the Under 15s, 3 in 7 games for the Under 16s, 11 in 17 matches for the Under 17s, 6 in 10 matches with the Under 19s, and 4 in 4 for the Under 21s.
Camarda also made his debut for the senior national team, in the friendlies against Liechtenstein and Greece in June under Silvio Baldini. Now he hopes to earn a call-up from the next coach and be there at the 2028 European Championships and the 2030 World Cup. But first, there’s a spot at Milan to win.