Francesco Camarda continues to forge the path for his future after his record-breaking debut for AC Milan, and the club have a plan.
Calciomercato.com recall that attention has followed Camarda in his journey through the later age groups of the youth sector right up to his first team debut at the back end of last year.
He took centre-stage with Ignazio Abate’s Primavera team, scoring goals like the overhead kick against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Youth League and the one against Cagliari in the last league outing.
Camarda is only 15 years old and carries the load of expectations that have grown exponentially in recent months, especially after Milan-Fiorentina on 25 November.
Links with clubs like Manchester City have boosted his profile, but the teenager needs to have a head on his shoulders and follow the right path to become the champion he has the potential to be.
On March 10, Camarda will celebrate his 16th birthday and – by regulation – he will be able to sign his first professional contract.
In the strategies outlined by the Rossoneri management and his agent Beppe Riso, a three-year deal expiring in June 2027 and a gradual but increasingly constant insertion into the dynamics of the first team are envisaged.
To encourage adaptation to the rhythms, dynamics and situations that senior football throws up, Milan are also planning to register an U23 side in Serie C for the 2024-25 season in the wake of what Juventus and Atalanta have done.
After the formal request to the leaders of the Lega Pro, now there needs to be a final and decisive step which is either a failure from one of the clubs currently participating in Serie C to register or the renunciation of one of the promoted ones from Serie D.
Thus, Milan are obviously called upon to evaluate a plan B if it is not possible to have a second team from next year. A classic loan fits into this framework, but at a company and in a context suitable for giving trust and playing time to Camarda.
SO what I don’t get about having a team in Serie C is whether or not they will be allowed to be promoted to Serie B (if they are good) or not? Or do they perennially stay in Serie C regardless of results?
U23 can get promoted to Serie B, but not to Serie A (or if Milan drops to Serie B, U23 cannot stay in Serie B.
All of this is just a dream though, the real challenge is being able to compete in Serie C with a youth team that will change many starters every year (the best will either be sold in Serie B or serie A, or get integrated as part of the Milan team).
The problem is if you end up in Serie D (an amateur league), then it would be considered a real failure
I’d love to get Zeman as coach of U23, but probably it’s just a dream