Focusing on an aging playmaker while letting go of an energetic youngster is a move only comprehensible within the Italian football landscape, which is fundamentally resistant to young talent.
Luka Modric will turn 40 in September. Afp
For Milan, what future prospects can the Modric operation offer, with him being almost 40 years old? The question is absolutely legitimate. Granted, the Croatian maestro is a phenomenon even physically and athletically, but he also plays in one of the most demanding roles: a box-to-box regista. Adding to this move is the temporary transfer of Francesco Camarda, a 17-year-old whose talent has been praised for at least a couple of seasons. He is the same age as Lamine Yamal, but he needs to `cut his teeth` at Lecce, in the provinces, just like they said and did in the 1960s. It`s curious: yet he has often been part of the first team squad and has already made several appearances, albeit marginal ones. Evidently, the `jewel` isn`t considered that precious, or there`s a significant fear of keeping him among the two or three rotating forwards in the squad. For a team that has for years shown an inability to press and subsequently attack effectively, it would seem essential to have freshness and the ability for repeated sprints at maximum speed. Opting for an aging playmaker and giving up on an energetic youngster is only understandable within an Italian context, one that is fundamentally hostile towards young talents, as Julio Velasco recently highlighted in a recent interview.
The Scudetto under Pioli
Some get furious at this opinion and consider it a cliché, but I believe they are wrong, even in other sports. How did Milan win the Scudetto under Pioli? By fielding one of the youngest teams in Europe, led by a twenty-one-year-old Tonali and a 22-year-old Leao, surrounded by a group of peers and a few veterans. Apparently, that historic result wasn`t enough to show a clear path forward. Yet, this is the club that debuted Donnarumma at 16. Not to mention, in the more distant past, the incredibly early debuts of Baresi, Maldini, Van Basten, and even Rivera. This isn`t just a discussion confined to the Rossoneri club. Inter reached the unfortunate Champions League final with a squad having an average age of over 29, one of the highest in Europe, and was perhaps not coincidentally overwhelmed by PSG, which, in contrast, had the youngest squad, under 24.
The `Safe Bet` Policy
In Italy, according to statistical studies, the only young players who really play are foreigners; regarding homegrown talent, we are last and significantly behind the major leagues. Spain, in particular, makes us look ridiculous from this perspective, being dozens of percentage points ahead in both the use of local youngsters and, inversely, in the use of foreigners. It`s implausible that our large number of registered players (well over a million) has suddenly stopped producing talents like Baggio, Zola, Del Piero, Toni, Inzaghi, Totti, and many others. Even the choices of coaches, here in Italy, lean more frequently towards relying on `safe bets` and overused players. There`s no desire to take risks; and if football has truly become a business like many others, this sounds like a condemnation. Because whoever doesn`t take reasonable risks has no future.
