Filippo Galli: "Lecce, Camarda is the right choice: he won't disappoint."

LECCE – As a player with AC Milan, Filippo Galli won five league titles, four Italian Super Cups, three European Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups. After retiring, he coached the Rossoneri's Primavera team for two seasons, and in 2008/2009, alongside Mauro Tassotti, served as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant in the first team. From 2009 to 2018, he served as director of the Rossoneri's youth academy, where he had the opportunity to consistently observe Francesco Camarda, Lecce's new center forward, who was just starting out at the Milanese club.

"Given my role, I've followed him closely for three seasons," says the former AC Milan central defender, who runs the blog "La complessita del calcio," in which he discusses football-related topics. "Now, along with AC Milan, he's chosen to play for Lecce on loan, and I think it was the right decision for his development. Furthermore, he's scored in all three friendlies he's played for the Giallorossi so far, scoring five goals and moving well. These days, goals don't bring points, but especially for a striker, scoring inspires enthusiasm, boosts self-esteem, and helps you work harder."

Galli continues to follow Camarda closely: "He's one of the most exciting prospects in Italian football. Many of us firmly believe in him. The quality is there. It's a matter of bringing it out fully, with patience, even taking into account a few lapses. It's a shame that, last season, he wasn't managed optimally. He was part of the senior team, Milan Futuro, and the Primavera, but, in the long run, he ended up playing very little, when he really needed the space to develop. And that's why Lecce is a great opportunity for him, especially because the Salento club has shown it's not afraid to rely on young players."

Yet in other countries, there's a greater willingness to trust young players: "In Italy, I see less courage in this regard, but in recent days, I've explored the topic in depth on my blog, and in any case, not many players born in 2008 regularly take to the field in the top leagues."

Camarda seems very mature for his 17 years: "Consider that he's had the spotlight on himself for a while now, but he's never lost sight of reality, he's always kept his feet on the ground. This is very important because talent alone isn't enough to stand out."

When he was introduced by Lecce, he said he felt comfortable in the opposition penalty area, but much less so when operating outside the opposition penalty area: "Understanding which aspects of your career need improvement is a crucial step, but it's not true that Camarda doesn't know how to operate outside the penalty area, as he knows how to link the play together and how to read the developments of the play. He's not just a finisher. He sets up plays and goes to finish the play."

We asked Filippo Galli what he thinks of Lecce's strategy in recent years, which is attempting to stay in the league while keeping its books in order: "Reconciling the two is far from simple, but increasingly essential. I know that technical director Corvino has been criticized for winning a Primavera championship with a squad loaded with foreigners, but if the rules allow it, there's no reason to be outraged. I think it would be necessary to introduce a system of significant rewards for those who develop and launch young Italians." The transfer market is still open for about a month, so many things could change, but reigning Italian champions Napoli are probably the club that has strengthened their squad the most: "De Laurentis, like Sticchi Damiani at Lecce, is another president who aims to play football while keeping its books in order, and he succeeds very well. The Neapolitans have made excellent and well-targeted signings so far, strengthening them in the positions where they needed it."

Inter seems to be trailing Antonio Conte's side: "The Nerazzurri must mentally shake off the residue left by a season in which they could have won on all fronts, but ultimately came away with nothing. The squad, however, is top-notch. Furthermore, I hope that AC Milan can also fight for the Scudetto. Despite being out of European competition, they will be able to work all week towards the league title. I have faith in Allegri and Tare's work."