At the Rigamonti-Ceppi Stadium in Lecco, the new Rossoneri Under-23 team—who will compete in Serie C's Group B starting this year—played their first official match. The game was expected to be very tough on paper, given they faced Lecco, recently relegated from Serie B. However, Milan Futuro won decisively 3-0, approaching this new project in the best possible way.
At the end of the match, coach Daniele Bonera spoke to Milan TV: "Surprised? No, because we are aware of the qualities we have even in building the squad." Indeed, the age and experience gap between the two teams was never visible during the game. In fact, at times, the young Rossoneri players seemed more seasoned than their opponents. Bonera is right; many of the Milan Futuro starters are young but already have significant experience. Out of the starting eleven, six players (Nava, Jimenez, Bartesaghi, Zeroli, Liberali, and Camarda) are part of the first team list, with some having played matches with the senior squad, including recent American friendlies. Of the other five, three have already played in the category (Minotti, Bozzolan, Sandri). The standout player was Alex Jimenez, who, in 90 minutes, demonstrated why he is a player at least two categories above. He will be Theo's deputy this year, as announced by Ibra. Liberali and Nava also performed excellently (scoring and saving a penalty), and Mattia Sandri was very good in midfield, a promising new face.
After yesterday's debut, it's right to look to the future with enthusiasm, which is the essence of this project, as suggested by the name itself. On the other hand, we must not rush things, being fully aware that we are at the beginning of the season and knowing that a year in Serie C is long and demanding.
Difficulties will certainly arise. Therefore, it is appropriate to borrow again the words of coach Daniele Bonera, who emphasized a crucial aspect: "We try to give these young players all the opportunities and time to make mistakes: we know that difficult moments will come."
The goal of Milan Futuro is to give young Rossoneri players the chance to gain experience. This will include both positive and negative moments. It is important, especially for several young Rossoneri who already attract significant media attention, that they are protected and left alone during this formative period. This could contribute to the future successes of the senior team.
Source: Milan News
