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Extended Clip - Who Is Francesco Camarda? The AC Milan Wonderkid With Over 500 Youth Goals (Ep. 363)
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After becoming the youngest ever Italian player to score in UEFA Youth League (an U-19 category tournament) against Newcastle at the age of 15, Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey do a profile deep dive on AC Milan teenage sensation Francesco Camarda.
This is a clip from the weekly Thursday episode of the Italian Football Podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction to Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast.
Spotlight on Francesco Camarda
00:00:05
Speaker
Just to finish off before we preview the weekend fixtures, a little profile on this 15-year-old Italian sensation, Francesco Camarda, at AC Milan. And he's been getting a lot of rave reviews in recent weeks. So let's tell you a little bit about him. He's regarded as the most
00:00:32
Speaker
exciting young Italian striker that Italy has produced since a young Mario Balotelli 15 years ago.
Transitioning from Youth to Senior Level
00:00:42
Speaker
Obviously we have to exercise a little bit of caution because he's only 15 years old and we don't want to put too much pressure on him and we know how it's never easy to step up from youth to senior and whether they're going to be great.
00:00:57
Speaker
you look at his numbers and he's a striker, he's number nine, he's best suited playing in the middle of a 4-3-3 formation but he is a complete attacker who is adaptable.
Camarda's Achievements and Potential
00:01:11
Speaker
his goal record is absolutely insane. Between 2017 and 2020, he scored 483 goals in 87 games for Milan's youth sites. And since 2020, he's continued to be prolific for both Milan and Italy's
00:01:32
Speaker
He's got three goals in three games for Italy's under-19s, despite the fact that he's playing two years above his age category.
00:01:43
Speaker
at teenage level, played above your age category, it's massive. Just having someone that's one year older than you makes such a big difference from a physical point of view and a mental point of view. So that's impressive. This month, September 2023, he hit the headlines after he scored two goals for Milan in the UEFA Youth League against Newcastle, four-nil win for Milan against Newcastle.
00:02:13
Speaker
He's just reminded that the UEFA Youth League is at an under 19 age category and he's 15 years and 195 days in that game. They're made in the youngest ever Italian to score in the UEFA Youth League. So at the moment he's playing for Milan's Primavera team. He's played four years older than him and he's got six goals in seven games for the Primavera team.
00:02:40
Speaker
It's obviously, these are obviously very, very impressive numbers given his age. And the respected football talent scout, which is regarded as probably the best place to go for profiling the young up and coming players, they say that Kamada has
00:03:02
Speaker
I quote, world-class potential. And he's described by the website as a complete forward, a tall player, six foot, he's at six foot already, an excellent combination of a target man poacher and deep line forward. He boasts, I quote, killer instinct, great off the ball movement, above average decision making, timing, intelligence, composure,
00:03:24
Speaker
flair in the final third. He's a clinical finisher with a wide range of finishing skills with both feet. Very skillful at beating his markers and evading pressure. He's also a team player capable of creating chances and assisting goals for his teammates.
Comparisons and Interest from Major Clubs
00:03:37
Speaker
His physical power and intellect let him play fruitfully with his back to goal. He's very good at connecting with the midfield and attacking partners
00:03:46
Speaker
a good dribbler, very strong and difficult to knock off the ball, aerially a threat in the box as well, and also presses very well. He has been compared to the Real Madrid legend, Carrion Bentima, and Camard has actually said that he models his game on Bentima, but his idol growing up was the Brazilian legend, Ronaldo, and he's also a fan of Dlatan Ibrahimovic,
00:04:12
Speaker
So, at the moment Milan, obviously he's on a youth contract but Milan are working on an official professional contract for him when he turns 16 in March of next year.
Development Pace of Young Players
00:04:22
Speaker
Both Manchester City and Brucie Dortmund are interested in signing him, they've sent scouts to watch him and a lot of other European clubs are also said to be watching Camada. So, that's a little profile on Camada but
00:04:37
Speaker
Yeah, those numbers and that profile and that scouting report there from Football Talent Scout tells the story of someone who is an incredibly gifted youngster who we hope has a massive, massive future in the game.
00:04:53
Speaker
We absolutely do. I just, again, want to reiterate when it comes to young players to be careful and let them develop in peace. There are so many youngsters we've seen whose careers have been ruined by taking a step too soon. That's too big. Martin Erdegor at 15 was playing for the Norwegian national team, went to Real Madrid. It took him a few years via Real Sociedad to come back to Arsenal and be at the level he is.
00:05:20
Speaker
but there was a risk there that the step he took from Norway to Real Madrid was too high. Again my point with that is
00:05:28
Speaker
there is a huge difference between youth team football, primavera football, under 21 football and first team football. Let's give these guys, you know, give them time to develop, don't pressure them, don't stress them, let them develop at their own stage, at their own pace.
Challenges Faced by Young Talents
00:05:45
Speaker
And if Kamala turns out to be ready to start doing, you know, jumping in
00:05:50
Speaker
within a year or two and for Milan and off the bench and does well, then that's great. But let's not get carried away and let these young people develop at the wrong pace. That's the only thing I want to say because people get so excited about young players and...
00:06:07
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And let there not be too much fanfare. Remember Hashim Mastur? Remember him? I mean, he was supposed to be the next big thing and he was... Freddie Adoo. I mean, there's so many... Milan really... I remember Galliana used Mastur as a marketing tool to, you know... He was badly managed as well, but he probably never was ever...
00:06:33
Speaker
very good. He was more of a circus performer, I think, kick-ups and ball juggling, things like that. Like that. Carillon, I think, his name was that. Sealedre, yeah. Yeah, the Sealedre, like Morati bought because of a YouTube highlight reel. Leave these players alone. Let them develop.
Conclusion on Camarda's Potential
00:06:50
Speaker
But that was a good profile. Great. Thank you.