After AC Milan Futuro’s first competitive game – which saw the young Rossoneri team win 3-0 – Kevin Zeroli spoke to the media about his changing role within the side and the group as a whole.
Of course, there have been positives we could take from earlier stages of the Milan Futuro setup, but now we can say that the side have played, and won, their first competitive fixture, which is massive for several reasons.
Not only does it show that the youngsters can compete against a fellow Serie C side, albeit Lecco reside in Girone A, whereas, the Rossoneri are in Girone B. However, it also has shown that young players are willing to dive into new challenges and do so competitively, which is a testament to the mentalities of the young players.
One of the stars of the setup is Kevin Zeroli, and it is fair to suggest that he is not just a star of the setup, but of the Diavolo generally, and he will play an important role within the team, as a dictator of play, and the side’s captain.
With the armband comes heaps of responsibility, and with that often comes the task of speaking to the media. For Zeroli, though, this is not a task he struggles with, and following the victory against Lecco, he spoke to Milan TV (via Milan News), to cover the side’s performance and his new role.
On the match…
“I think we played a good, very good game. The important thing was to start on the right foot: we’re a young team but we try to compete with everyone and give our best.”
A new role on the pitch?
“Changing roles is not easy. Last year I was a sort of trequartista and now I’m more of a playmaker, but it doesn’t change me: I give my all for the team. I’m also very comfortable in this position.”
On the group…
“We’ve been together for almost two years, there are many guys who have come back. We are a good team, there have been new arrivals who have helped the team a lot. We continue to work and try to give our best.”
Zeroli spoke briefly about it, but he was found in a deeper position on Saturday, playing in tandem with another midfielder, rather than being the focal point, and he looked very comfortable in this role, which was a pleasure to see.
Zeroli-Eletu-Liberalli will give us an amazing midfield when they blossom.
I am generally excited by the talent we’ve got coming through the Futuro at the moment. People are generally upset by the fact that we only have 2-3 Italians on the squad, but I think (hope) that this is only a temporary adjustment period while we bridge the gap between the primavera and the first team with Futuro. Being able to give our 17-20 year olds professional football without having to leave the club on loan is going to so beneficial, particularly if Futuro can gain promotion to Serie B. This in turn should better prepare them for the first team and I think (hope) in 2-3 seasons we will begin to see 2-3 homegrown talents making the transition between Futuro and the first time every season. If this works, we should see both a decrease in money spent on the market (or more money allocated for a single target higher value signing) and an increase in Italian players who are also Milan through and through (Maldini’s Heir, your dreams will come true).