Inter Milan’s 20-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito is rightly being lauded and scored his first objective for Italy towards Estonia final week, however one other identify is making waves – Francesco Camarda, a participant three years youthful, and doubtlessly extra devastating.
Collectively, they may effectively turn into the strike partnership that defines the Azzurri’s future.
At 17 years, six months and 18 days previous, Camarda scored his first Serie A objective towards Bologna in September, changing into the youngest participant in Lecce’s historical past to take action – the AC Milan ahead despatched south to realize expertise on mortgage below Eusebio di Francesco.
With that objective earlier than the worldwide break, he broke yet one more document in his remarkably precocious profession.
Camarda had already made historical past on 25 November 2023, when he got here on late in Milan’s sport towards Fiorentina.
Underneath Stefano Pioli, he turned the youngest participant to make his debut in Serie A. The Italian FA granted Milan a particular exemption to permit Camarda to play at simply 15 years, eight months, and 13 days, as a result of laws don’t permit gamers below 16 to characteristic within the high flight.
He was additionally the youngest participant to seem for Milan, breaking the document held by legendary defender Paolo Maldini.
The next season, below Paulo Fonseca, he made his Champions League debut towards Membership Brugge – with a objective dominated out by the video assistant referee (VAR) – changing into Milan and Italy’s youngest participant to characteristic within the competitors at 16 years and 226 days.
This week, he additionally turned the youngest Italian ever to attain for the under-21s nationwide crew. On his Azzurrini debut towards Sweden in a European Championship qualifier, the 17-year-old netted a cheeky Panenka penalty.
It showcased all his qualities – composure, fast toes, power on the ball, and an ice-cold temperament in entrance of objective.
“Generally, when he drops deep, he nonetheless appears a bit uncooked technically, however contained in the field he is a phenomenon,” stated supervisor Massimiliano Favo, who led Italy Underneath-17s to victory on the 2024 European Championship, the place Camarda was his most important striker.
“His potential to seek out the best place and to deal with the ball and his ruthlessness when taking pictures are issues I’ve by no means seen in anybody of his age.”
