In this morning's print edition of Tuttosport, there is focus on Davide Bartesaghi who made his debut in the 74th minute against Hellas Verona last weekend at the San Siro.
His ID card says the boy was born on December 29, 2005. He still can't do all those things you need to be of legal age for, including getting a driver's license. He was accompanied to Milanello for his first training sessions with the first team. It happened in the summer of 2022. Then Bartesaghi played a season in the Primavera and returned in the summer of 2023. That was Milan's revolution, where many players left and others arrived. Stefano Pioli decided to test him throughout the summer preparation, taking him along and giving him space even in the American tour. Minutes in which the left-back was able to give his best, convincing the staff.
So, when the summer transfer market took Ballo-Touré away from Milan, Pioli and the management decided not to desperately look for a backup for Theo. For the matches where the Frenchman wouldn't be available, they could use Florenzi, or... give the young Bartesaghi a chance. Theo was unavailable for last Saturday's match and at the 74th minute minute of the second half, Pioli called for the substitution: out went Florenzi, in came Bartesaghi. The former Giallorosso, being the experienced player he is, wanted to say a few words to the debutant before leaving. "He's a strong player. Surely he must have been excited, he didn't come in like in some debuts where you might enter when it's 4 or 5-0, but he came into a tight match, a real match. He has great qualities, he did well. " Florenzi said after the game.
AC Milan's plan for Davide Bartesaghi's future...
Furthermore, both among his teammates and in the Milan environment, you only hear great things about 'Barte'. A golden boy, who works diligently to improve, without any fuss. Someone who has solid values, thanks in part to his family, who supports and stands by him. All of them are Milan fans, by the way. They must have been as excited as their son when he entered the field. If Bartesaghi's name will be just one of the 'homegrown' names used by Pioli this season remains to be seen. There are only a handful of Abate's boys knocking on the first team's doors - but it will depend on Pioli's needs. What is certain is that with an exhilarating start to the season (they're first with full points after 4 games and won decisively in their Youth League debut), the Rossoneri Primavera is producing talents that could soon be integrated into the Milan squad.
