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00:00:00Good morning everyone, welcome along to the press conference to unveil the Milan Futuro
00:00:08project, the team which as of the 2024-25 season will take part in Serie C. We're with
00:00:15Zlatan Ibrahimović, who will talk us through the thought process and the strategy which
00:00:23led to the creation of this team. Good morning everyone, welcome along. As you know, we have
00:00:31now officially announced the creation of Milan Futuro. We've taken this initiative because
00:00:42we want somewhere for our young talents to be able to progress towards the first team.
00:00:51And with the current system of the Primavera, the under-19 side and the first team, from
00:00:56my experience when I was a player, there's too much of a gap between the under-19 side
00:01:01and the first team. As a young player, you break into the Primavera side, depends on
00:01:10your age, 16, 17, 18 years of age, we think it goes too quickly. Then you get into the
00:01:16first team and you're not physically ready and you need a bit of experience. So Milan
00:01:25Futuro is important for us because the players will have more time to develop. It's where
00:01:31we will actually prepare them to play against men, because Serie C is a different level
00:01:37with the greatest of respect to the Primavera, the under-19 level, where you play against
00:01:41kids and then you go into the first team. When you train with the first team, there
00:01:46is a big difference. Not only a difference, a big difference. With Milan Futuro, things
00:01:56will be very different because they will play against men and it will be very challenging.
00:02:06This is something new for us and we need to try and strike the right balance as to
00:02:11where we are, because this is something new for us as well. But we are prepared, we are
00:02:17organised, we're doing everything and we've got everything under control. With this initiative,
00:02:28we want to show to everyone that we believe in our talented young players and we want
00:02:32to give them an opportunity to break into the first team. We believe a great deal in
00:02:41our young players and for me, for Milan as a club, for everyone, young players are important.
00:02:48That's how you can strike the balance between the present and talented players for the future.
00:02:58So it's just one big team, the first team and the U23 side. Everything that Paolo Fonseca
00:03:04will do with the first team, Milan Futuro will do as well, because we have to prepare
00:03:10Milan Futuro players to be ready to step into the first team with the first team philosophy.
00:03:17So it's a bit like a copy and paste. My Italian is not bad. So it's a copy and paste of what
00:03:26the first team does, Milan Futuro will also do. But in the future, it will also be a project
00:03:32where we're focused on individual training sessions, where we want to develop specific
00:03:38individuals and improve them, prepare them, take the responsibility. These are guys that
00:03:47need to become men, because when you represent Milan, it's a huge responsibility. What else
00:03:54can I say about this? I think discipline is very important for me. Those that aren't aware,
00:04:04the U19s will go and train at the Centro Sportivo Vismara, because when you're at the Primavera,
00:04:10you're not ready for the first team. So between the first team and the Primavera side, there's
00:04:14a big gulf. That's why we are moving the U19 side to the Vismara training ground, so they
00:04:22can train more, so they can have this dream to actually break into the first team. Because
00:04:26when you're in the U19 side, you shouldn't be near the first team. You need to keep working,
00:04:32you need to develop, you need to have that desire and that dream to break into the first
00:04:38team. That means that you'll do everything in your power to make it there. However, between
00:04:45the U19 side and the first team, there will be another step. That's where Milan Futuro will be.
00:04:53That's where we'll put our biggest talents that we believe in. I don't know if you all
00:05:00necessarily remember, but this is where we will place player profiles that are adapted to Milan.
00:05:07Not only are they talented, our player profiles are important as well. That's when we say this
00:05:14is a Milan-worthy player. And plus, we have chosen Paolo Fonseca because he will pick young
00:05:24players, talented players. He believes, he doesn't have any fear, he will hand them an opportunity.
00:05:28But it's not only about having talents to break them into the first team and then we're putting
00:05:37all the responsibility on these kids. Not everyone will necessarily be young players. We will have a
00:05:42few experienced players because, as I said, we need to strike the right balance. We need to have
00:05:49a few experienced players in there because it's important that the players don't get too many
00:05:57knocks because I don't think you necessarily develop and grow. You need to actually win
00:06:02matches as well. So we will bring in a few experienced players at Serie C, third tier
00:06:07level so we can strike that right balance. Because as I said, this is something new for us. We need
00:06:12to understand where we are so we can find the right route forward. Jovan Kirovski will be in
00:06:22charge of Milan Futuro. I've seen that that news has broken in the press. He has experience as a
00:06:30player. He played for a number of players as a professional. He comes in from the United States
00:06:36of America and he worked with LA Galaxy. He's got a very high level profile for someone in this role
00:06:46and we're very fortunate to have Jovan with us. Jovan will be here after the press conference. If
00:06:52some of you want to ask any questions, you can speak to him directly. But I think we are sending
00:06:59out a press release via email with regards to his biography, those that want to be party to that.
00:07:05And as head coach of Milan Futuro will be Daniele Bonera. We've chosen Daniele Bonera
00:07:15because he had great experience as a player. He played for Milan for many years and then he
00:07:26moved into coaching. He was on Stefano Pioli's staff. He's worked with a number of young players.
00:07:32He had a great relationship with the youngsters. He worked individually and as a group with a
00:07:38number of young players. He also followed the first team, as I said, as part of Stefano Pioli's
00:07:44staff where he gained experience. So we think he's the right choice because it's important to
00:07:52have that go-between in terms of communication between Milan Futuro and the first team,
00:07:58where this guy doesn't have an ego and he's not necessarily only thinking about himself.
00:08:04He needs to be open-minded because when Paolo Fonseca needs something, he needs to be willing
00:08:10to help him and he needs to be open to a dynamic situation. When Paolo Fonseca needs players,
00:08:20there needs to be that link between them, that communication between them because,
00:08:25as I said, the first team and Milan Futuro will be one big team for us,
00:08:29but it's also something new for us. We are happy, we're confident. What else can I say?
00:08:37It's not easy to pick a coach in this situation because the same goes for the entire academy.
00:08:48When you have a coach in the academy, often the issue is they're often thinking too much
00:08:54about results. So now what's happening? They choose players that are more physically ready
00:09:01than other players who actually have greater potential and the players that we think that
00:09:09have our profile, but given they're focused on results and they want to make progress
00:09:14in their own coaching careers, then they ultimately try and secure objectives,
00:09:22but we think it's important to have coaches that actually focus on the player's development
00:09:27because a coach should get credit in youth team football is when they can actually get
00:09:32players graduating into the first team. So that's when a coach should get credit and merit,
00:09:40but it's not easy to find coaches that are thinking about player development
00:09:44and these goals that we have currently come up with, but we'll get to that.
00:09:51And welcome along, Daniele Bonera, to your new position.
00:09:57Welcome along, Gaffer. Before we move to the Q&A session, I'd like to inform you
00:10:05that the Serie C Coppa Italia pairings have been drawn now and Milan Futuro will play against
00:10:18Lecco in the Serie C Cup on the Saturday, the 10th of August. They'll play at Solbiate Stadium,
00:10:25Milan Futuro that is. The first two games were away from home in Bustarzizio at the
00:10:34Stadio Speroni because the ground won't be ready yet. Now we can move to the Q&A session.
00:10:45Please stay on topic with regards to Milan Futuro. Let's start with Luca Brivio, Milan TV.
00:10:51Good morning to both, morning Zlatan, morning to the Gaffer.
00:10:55Question for Zlatan, Milan Futuro, why the name? It's been very successful because,
00:11:01yes, you're working now, but you've also got an eye towards the future, so the name seems to be
00:11:07bang on point. And a question for the Gaffer, Daniele, when you think back to your first few
00:11:13days at Milanello as a coach, because this is almost your third chapter at Milan, first as a
00:11:18player, then as an assistant to Stefano Pioli, and now this, does it feel different? Is there
00:11:22different excitement? Do you remember things from your first time around or is it completely different?
00:11:27In terms of the name Milan Futuro, why? We did have a few options on the table
00:11:36with our branding and marketing team, but we chose Milan Futuro because it's important to
00:11:42send out a message to the world that we have this Milan Futuro side and those that
00:11:52join Milan Futuro, those that develop within Milan Futuro will be the future of the club.
00:11:58I think that gives us greater credibility for these young players. It's the right name. I like
00:12:04it because it's also very international. You can make it Milan Futuro, Futuro Future.
00:12:11Good morning, everyone. Obviously, I'm delighted and hugely proud above all.
00:12:22There are some similarities with my development as a player and then being a coach as well,
00:12:31an assistant coach. There are a number of similarities. Maybe a few things have changed
00:12:36for me. I've got a few more grey hairs, but I'm in good company on that score. But we're really now
00:12:41getting down to work. I feel a huge sense of responsibility and that's something that I will
00:12:49take into my work with the young players working towards their development, as has been said.
00:12:55I want to try and take as many young players into the first team as possible via process,
00:13:01as Zlatan was saying, where they're a little bit closer to what the technical and physical
00:13:06demands of first team football requires, as opposed to what the under-19 championship
00:13:10currently offers. Good morning. I'll start with the head coach. First of all, best of luck.
00:13:19As Ibra was saying, Serie C level is different. You need some experienced players.
00:13:27What sort of personnel are you going to be putting together? Because I imagine there is still a
00:13:31difference between the U-19 level and Serie C. And to Ibra, I'd like to ask you, given the tough
00:13:36times the Italian game is going through, Juve did it, Atalanta did it, now Milan are doing it.
00:13:42What a responsibility it is to develop young players. And as a former striker, people are
00:13:47often talking about Francesco Camarda. He will also need time for Serie C. Those that are familiar
00:13:53with Serie C know it's not an easy league. We have identified certain player profiles.
00:14:00We're currently assessing a number of players. But above all, in terms of people as individuals,
00:14:08because we need players that give us a hand technically, but that also very quickly make
00:14:16it aware to the young players just what the level of Serie C requires. When we're able to cut down
00:14:21on that time to make sure that the young players get used to Serie C, the easier it will become.
00:14:28There will be a number of issues along the way, but I've got a lot of support on this journey.
00:14:37This U-23 side, which is called Milan Futuro, Juventus and Atalanta got the ball rolling.
00:14:45And I think this can only be a positive for the Italian game. We need it. We need to improve
00:14:51talented players. We need to improve Italian young talents with a mix of international players,
00:14:59because if you don't improve your domestic talents when you get to the first team
00:15:06and the highest level of the game, if they don't develop
00:15:15and if they haven't worked to become the best players they can,
00:15:19because I think with the greatest of respect, I don't think it was a real wow factor about Italy
00:15:26at Euro 2024. Individually, if you look at them comparing them to other international teams,
00:15:33there is a big difference. As a group you can perform miracles as a squad, but this is all
00:15:38part of the initiative to try and improve talented players and to make them better than they currently
00:15:44are. That's why it's very important for the Italian game. It's important to develop
00:15:55and to not be stifled, but you have to start with the foundations.
00:16:02I think all clubs in Italy have a huge responsibility when it comes to improving
00:16:09talented individuals. How you work, what ideas you have, what strategies you have,
00:16:14where you want to get to, and that's where a number of coaches are involved. As I said,
00:16:21often coaches go into an academy and they think about winning. The club is thinking about
00:16:26developing young players and the club should be above the individual coaches and they should give
00:16:33guidelines to these coaches as to the route that they need to follow.
00:16:38As for Francesco Camarda, it will be very important for him
00:16:45because everyone thinks it will be easy, but it won't be easy.
00:16:54I think he will struggle at the start to get to grips with the level, but we're here to protect
00:16:59him. It's our responsibility and we need to give Camarda time to develop, to grow. He needs to do
00:17:08it one step at a time. He's got great potential, but we need to prepare him to break into the first
00:17:18team. He's one of the big talents with huge potential in whom we believe a great deal.
00:17:25It won't be easy, but we're here to protect him and to allow him to gradually move into the first team.
00:17:35The idea that we all have is to try and make sure that players get playing time,
00:17:40minutes on the pitch. Of course, 11 players can start, then you have the bench.
00:17:45Those that aren't playing in the first team, there'll be a domino effect. So the strategy
00:17:52is that everyone needs to get playing time, but playing time in real matches. They mustn't miss
00:17:57games and only train. So we want everyone to make sure they have playing time. If they don't play
00:18:02for Milan Futuro, they'll play in the Primavera side. If they don't play in the Primavera side,
00:18:07they'll play in the U18 team. Because where you develop the most is in matches, not in training
00:18:13sessions. Because as I said, when you always play with the same players in the team, those that are
00:18:22left out of the side, they might even be talented players, they might even have potential, but if
00:18:26they never play, they won't develop. That's why it's important for us that everyone gets minutes
00:18:33on the pitch. I forget to say as well that there'll be between 22 and 23 players in Milan Futuro,
00:18:40just like the first team, no more than that. Because it's important that everyone has the
00:18:46space to play and they're not wasting time. Claudio Raimondi, Sport Mediaset.
00:18:49Mediaset. Good morning, Daniele. Good morning, Zlatan. I'll start with Ibra by asking him.
00:18:58This is a slight change in tack, if you will. It's year zero. Milan have been very courageous.
00:19:05You're going against the grain because often we're seeing other clubs that are targeting
00:19:10experienced players. You are almost revolutionising things. Was this one of your
00:19:16ideas when you were first in touch with Gerry Cardinale? Have you chosen to push towards this
00:19:22overhaul with young players that can break into the first team? And a question for Daniele,
00:19:27will you try and play the same formation that Paolo Fonseca will play? So there's a link there.
00:19:32When I took this role here at Milan, I pushed a lot in the direction of talented young players.
00:19:45I believe a great deal in talent. I thought it was impossible and conceivable that Milan don't
00:19:50have a talented academy, first and foremost in terms of our prestige and our name,
00:19:54but also with regards to our facilities, the training grounds that we have where young players
00:20:02can develop with the experience, with intelligence. All of that's very important because you can't buy
00:20:08that. You can invest things, but over time things come about. But that doesn't mean that the first
00:20:16team is now only going to be full of talented players. The more talented players we can get
00:20:22into the first team, the better. That's only positive. Because as I said, this step is very
00:20:31important, if you ask me, for the Italian game as a whole, because if we can develop talented young
00:20:37players, we'll have done something not only for us, but also for the Italian game as a whole.
00:20:41And a club like Milan needs to at least have the platform. I'm not necessarily saying that every
00:20:48year five players will break into the first team from the U23 side. If they do break into the team,
00:20:55I'll be delighted. That will mean we've done an excellent job and we're on the right track.
00:21:00But what matters is having Milan Futuro behind the first team when required, when players are needed,
00:21:08or there's someone who's an overage player and it's a wow factor, then that's
00:21:18very positive. So we're very motivated about that. And I believe a great deal in this.
00:21:24But as I said, we need to strike the right balance with the first team, because I don't want the
00:21:30outside message to be, okay, now we're only focused on talented young players. No,
00:21:34we're here today for Milan Futuro. We're talking about strategy,
00:21:38for talents. And then on Monday, we'll talk about the first team. But Milan as a club
00:21:47need to have this platform with the opportunity. And it also depends on the players themselves.
00:21:56It's not a case of us giving you a platform, then you can sort everything out. But our
00:22:01responsibility is to allow these young players to become disciplined professional players,
00:22:08to become men off the pitch, because when you represent Milan, you also have responsibilities
00:22:14off the pitch. When you pull on the Milan shirt, you just can't do whatever you want.
00:22:20In fact, you have a huge responsibility. And that's also then our responsibility to convey
00:22:29that message to these youngsters. It means more than just being a footballer. It's also
00:22:36about the person themselves. But we're on the right track. And those that had doubts about
00:22:43the club's ambitions will now see that something is happening inside the club. Things are happening
00:22:54inside the club. We are working. And as I said, when we have something to say,
00:23:00officially, we're here to come out and say something.
00:23:06We're not just going to be chatting propaganda or gossip. We're not a gossip mag. But when we've
00:23:10got something to say, we will do so. And we won't necessarily make promises we can't keep. Thank you.
00:23:17I'd like to answer and I'll come back to what Zlatan's just answered.
00:23:25When it was put to me about the plans for Milan Futuro,
00:23:32I had the pleasure to actually share with Zlatan about the player profiles. And when you speak to
00:23:39him, there are some talented players that you need to almost build and bring them closer to
00:23:45the first team. That said, they need to grow mentally. They need to grow as individuals,
00:23:50as men. And there will be the utmost synergy from a tactical perspective with Paolo Fonseca
00:23:57in the first team. As Zlatan said, there will be a daily, weekly exchange of players. And so
00:24:04that's absolutely we'll be following the first team line.
00:24:08Gazetto.it.
00:24:12A question for Zlatan and one for Daniele. But ultimately, it's coming down to the same nuts and
00:24:20bolts. Zlatan, was there a specific input that Gerry Cardinale has given you? I know that you're
00:24:25very close to the owner on this project, of course, if there was something specific that
00:24:30Gerry Cardinale said to you in terms of your mission, your focus. And Daniele, I wanted to
00:24:35know whether you spoke personally with Cardinale and if so, what he said to you.
00:24:40I speak to Gerry Cardinale on a daily basis. He's very committed.
00:24:46Milan is a very personal mission for him. He listens a great deal.
00:24:54And he's very open to the ideas that we submit.
00:24:59Obviously, Cardinale wants results, that's only natural.
00:25:04He wants the club to grow and he wants us to get results.
00:25:13Milan Futuro is one of the ideas where we want to bring something new into the club,
00:25:22which, as I said, it won't be easy, but we've got everything under control.
00:25:28We are behind Bonera, that's got nothing to do with all I was saying about Gerry Cardinale,
00:25:35but we're all here to actually help the boat move forward, just like the first team head coach.
00:25:42It doesn't depend only, it's not down to the first team head coach, it's not down to the
00:25:48first team head coach, it doesn't depend only, it's not down to one individual,
00:25:53it comes down to all of the club, everyone here, we're all here together
00:25:58to try and help out and do the best we can, to try and get results that we're looking for.
00:26:06Cardinale is positive, he's very positive,
00:26:10in terms of the way we're working, in terms of how we're doing things,
00:26:15but ultimately results do matter. In situations such as this, Milan Futuro,
00:26:20the results mean actually developing talented young players,
00:26:28getting as many young talents into the first team as possible.
00:26:36I'm in direct contact with Zlatan, with Jovan Karovski,
00:26:41with everyone that will work on this Milan Futuro project.
00:26:45So they are my reference points for the moment, my line managers.
00:26:55A question for Zlatan and one for Daniele.
00:26:59Last year Zlatan, we saw a number of U19 side players that made their first team debuts,
00:27:07Zeroli, Camarda, Simic, Jimenez. Will that be your aim, to try and really focus on these young
00:27:16players? And they'll be the players that you'll be mixing up between the first team and Milan
00:27:20Futuro? Boneri, you spoke about the fact that you're in touch with Paolo Fonseca,
00:27:25have you spoken to him? What sort of person is he? How excited is he by his new challenge?
00:27:31Yes, these names are part of Milan Futuro, as you said, there are some players that have broken
00:27:38into the first team. But it's important for these players, when you get to the first team,
00:27:44it's important to stay there. There's no point in breaking in and then going back down,
00:27:48because when you get to the first team, you need to stay in the first team.
00:27:52That's why Milan Futuro will be important for us.
00:27:54Because it's within Milan Futuro where you can develop, where you can grow, it's where we're
00:28:02preparing you for the first team demands. The idea is once they get to the first team, that
00:28:07they shouldn't then be dropping back down. Last year, they dropped back down to the U19 side,
00:28:13that's where they were playing. But once they get to the first team, they need to stay there.
00:28:19But there are players that are on the cusp between the first team and Milan Futuro,
00:28:23they're more towards Milan Futuro. Jimenez is closer to the first team.
00:28:33They do need to be part of Milan Futuro so they can further develop. But the advantage of Milan
00:28:39Futuro is we can give more playing time to these young players so they can spend more time at
00:28:43Milan. Because after the U19 side, if there's no space in the first team, often they move on.
00:28:50But now there's the prospect that they actually develop elsewhere, they get into the first team
00:28:57and then people start to, it seems that we've actually made a mistake because we didn't keep
00:29:01hold of a talent. But the answer is there wasn't any space in the first team at that time. Because
00:29:06when you break into the first team, you need to get results. Because if you don't get results,
00:29:11there's another player that will get results. So then that guy just disappears.
00:29:17That's why it's important for us to create Milan Futuro and put it between the first
00:29:23team and the U19 side, because they've now changed the rules in the U19 level,
00:29:28you can now be 20 years of age, but there's still kids against kids. And then beyond the age of 20,
00:29:35if you don't make it into the first team, there's no space elsewhere, then you have to move on.
00:29:40Will they give you space? Will they give you time? Whereas with Milan Futuro,
00:29:44we'll give you even more time. But always with talents that we believe in.
00:29:50And let's not forget that a player profile is very important here. It's not only a wow talent
00:29:57that you can see around there that we haven't necessarily signed or we're not interested in,
00:30:03because we're not looking at them. No, we're aware of that player but maybe doesn't fit with
00:30:09our player profile. Player profiles are important. And when I'm talking about player profiles,
00:30:13you need to look at the history of the Milan first team, the sort of player profiles that
00:30:19have actually made history at the club. And that's the sort of player profile we're looking
00:30:22for. As to whether it'll be the same level, then we'll be delighted if they can reach that level.
00:30:30Via Zlatan, we've preferred to actually speak to each other face to face on Monday and then
00:30:39we'll have a fortnight before the US tour with the first team. So we've preferred to actually
00:30:45interact via Zlatan and then meet here with my staff and Fonseca's staff and then we can
00:30:53share our work not only from a technical and tactical perspective. So we'll have a lot of
00:30:57time to get to know each other. Something else. It all starts on Monday, but we'll still be missing
00:31:05a number of players due to Euro 2024. Some players are going to the Olympic Games.
00:31:16So there'll be a number of players that will be missing. There might be some
00:31:20Milan Futuro players, Primavera players that might be in the first team. Futuro players might be in
00:31:26the first team because our squad won't be full. And we'll see who goes to the US and who doesn't go.
00:31:31But after the US tour, then it'll be team for team for team. They'll be where they're supposed to be.
00:31:37That's why it'll be a little bit jumbled initially.
00:31:44They'll all be there together. No, it will always be Milan Futuro on first team,
00:31:49but it might be a case of a number of Milan Futuro players are actually in the first team and then a
00:31:53number of Primavera players are in the Milan Futuro side because we're missing a number of
00:31:57players. That's why it'll be a mix. It'll be a bit jumbled and muddled initially. So don't think
00:32:03that someone's part of the first team squad because we've chosen them to be there. That's why I said
00:32:08as of Monday onwards, we'll speak face to face with everyone and then we'll take things one game
00:32:16one day at a time. But everything's organized and under control. All Milan.
00:32:21Good morning to both of you. Best of luck, Daniele, on this new role at the Milan Futuro
00:32:30helm. I'll start with Ibra. You have perfectly illustrated what the Milan Futuro project is
00:32:35going to look like. But from the sporting side, have you set any targets on the pitch or for the
00:32:42coming years? As for Daniele, Ibra said that Milan Futuro will be almost a copy and paste
00:32:50of the first team. Do you plan to actually train the players in the same way, to have the same
00:32:56training methods over the course of the season? Are you saying first team objectives or Milan
00:33:03Futuro objectives? No, Milan Futuro targets are to try and give these talented young players the
00:33:09time to develop, to prepare them for the first team. Those that make it, we want to have them
00:33:17playing in adult competition because, of course, in Serie C in the third tier, they play against
00:33:22men. And that's a completely different style of football. Because youngsters still are built like
00:33:33youngsters, but you can't win 50-50 challenges against men. You know, you got Francesco Camarda
00:33:41when there was Brahim Diaz. He wasn't tall, but he was a small guy. But he won all of the
00:33:47challenges because he was a man, whereas Camarda is still a kid. That's why they need to get to
00:33:53grips with the fact that, you know, there is competition as well. It's also a case of mindset
00:33:58mentality, because when you play against these guys, they'll do everything in their power to
00:34:02beat Milan Futuro. That's only natural. It'll be a cup final for all of the other teams.
00:34:08And for us, it's going to be a journey,
00:34:13stages of development. In the first few months, they are going to really struggle,
00:34:18where a number of people think these guys aren't going to make it. But in the second half of the
00:34:22season, when the talent starts to develop and come through, then it'll be a different match.
00:34:27That's me imagining how things might pan out. Because our young players develop, whereas
00:34:33other teams with the greatest of respect in Serie C, they'll always stay at the same level.
00:34:38Their development is linear. I can't necessarily be too precise on that. When I answer,
00:34:46I prefer to speak about that on Monday. But as I said, there will be synergy
00:34:51in terms of development as well and training methods. But of course, I also need to personalise
00:34:57what my ideas are. Of course, I do need to contribute a little bit myself.
00:35:02But there will be a part of what I've learnt over the years, and I will try and implement that.
00:35:10But our tactical line and our fitness line will, of course, be shared with the first team.
00:35:19Tele Lombardia. Good morning to both. Best of luck. Francesco Camarda.
00:35:24So I'll come to this topic with both of you. For the outside world, for the fans,
00:35:32for the journalists, Francesco Camarda represents the future for Milan.
00:35:37He won't have the opportunity to train with Zlatan or Olivier Giroud, for instance.
00:35:44No, he has already trained with us. But in terms of your choices, are you also thinking
00:35:54about having these young players coming into contact with the more experienced players that
00:35:58might sign and might join for the club? And the responsibility you feel for actually
00:36:04developing and training the most hotly anticipated talent?
00:36:09That's the question for the gaffer. No, he's already trained with us.
00:36:18The Milan Futuro players will be very close to the first team. And when we're missing a
00:36:22first team player, these guys will step in because they'll be training at the same time.
00:36:29They'll always come into contact with the first team. That's why we say that the first team and
00:36:34Milan Futuro will be one big team, even though they will be split. Daniele will have his team
00:36:41on the pitches out here where the Primavera used to train. And Paolo Fonseca will have his team
00:36:48where the first team trained. But they'll always be very close to one another. And they will always
00:36:52come into contact with the first team. If Camarda is ready for the first team,
00:36:58and Fonseca believes he is, then he'll come into contact, he'll play for the first team.
00:37:05But it's important for them to come into contact with that, for them to understand where they are,
00:37:12where the individual can move towards the first team.
00:37:14We will be missing a number nine in the first team. But when the number nine signs,
00:37:22of course, Francesco Camarda will be competing against that player. There's always competition
00:37:28for places because the Milan Futuro players need to do everything in their power to cause a problem
00:37:33for the first team players. Because the Milan Futuro players aren't here simply to be statues,
00:37:39mannequins for the first team guys. They need to have the mentality whereby they're competing for
00:37:47places with the first team guys, because everyone at Milan Futuro needs to have it in their mind
00:37:52that they can actually step in and play instead of the first team. Otherwise, they shouldn't be
00:37:56part of Milan Futuro. That's the mentality. And then there's the reality, of course. But that's
00:38:00the idea of Milan Futuro. We want them to come into contact and we want to prepare them so they
00:38:06can break into that side. I think that is the responsibility that I share with everyone from
00:38:18the ownership downwards, the fact that I'm responsible a bit for Francesco's development.
00:38:24His name is doing the rounds. I need to develop him. But there's a number of other young guys
00:38:28that have already come into contact with the first team and initially broke into it. So that's what
00:38:35Milan Futuro is all about. I understand that journalistically, Francesco Camarda is more
00:38:40interesting, but I'm pretty relaxed because the input from the club is to develop the youngsters.
00:38:46And I'm sure Francesco makes more headlines than others. But I'll have no issues in supporting him
00:38:53all across the board when it comes to his development as a footballer,
00:38:57because he still has a ways to go. But we're here to support him here at Milanello and anything he
00:39:06needs. I'm here for that. Jovan Kirovski is someone who had an incredible career in football. He knows
00:39:16what we're talking about. So Francesco will get all of the attention he needs, just as all his
00:39:20teammates will. We'd now like to wish the best of luck to Francesco Camarda and all of the other
00:39:27guys that are involved in the Euro Under-19 Championship, which will start in a few days'
00:39:31time. Corriere dello Sport. Hi, a question for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, particularly on the
00:39:42head of Milan Futuro, Jovan Kirovski. How did you decide on this name? I imagine you know him well.
00:39:48Is that your choice? Will he only recruit players? What will be his role as a director?
00:40:01Jovan's role will be to be in charge of developing the academy. He will
00:40:08be in charge of recruitment. He'll be in charge of Milan Futuro downwards. Why have we chosen Jovan?
00:40:14Because we needed someone that could work under us in the academy that thinks along the same
00:40:21lines as us, that has the same vision and ambition, that speaks the same language.
00:40:27That way we know that those that come into the academy or don't come into the academy
00:40:32that have the same ideas and strategy as we do. I'm not saying we didn't have that before,
00:40:38but now with this new group of individuals from the top down, it's important that we work from
00:40:47bottom up and from top down. There needs to be a link between us above and Jovan down below us.
00:40:58What's important is the vision in terms of how he looks at a player and in terms of what we want.
00:41:08You know, we want to make sure that it actually fits into what we're looking for.
00:41:13That's very important. I've known Jovan ever since I was in America. I know him personally,
00:41:19how he works, and had I not believed in him then he wouldn't have been here today.
00:41:27And I wouldn't have put his name forward on the shortlist in terms of who could have done this job.
00:41:32Because we want elite level, we want top level profiles at every area of the club,
00:41:40in every department, not only on the sporting side, but also away from the pitch.
00:41:46We want to be the best in every single area,
00:41:49from the commercial side, to the branding department, to the academy,
00:41:55all of it, because we want to do the best possible.
00:42:02Good morning to both of you. Best of luck, Daniele.
00:42:08Either of you can take this question. There's another competition, which is the UEFA Youth
00:42:12League. In the last two seasons, Milan have done very well in this competition. Obviously,
00:42:15the Primavera takes part of this, but I wanted to know whether the best Milan Futuro players,
00:42:20provided they qualify in terms of the age restrictions, can they play in the Youth League?
00:42:25Yes, yes. As I said, those that are in Milan Futuro and aren't playing in the Milan Futuro
00:42:32will play in the U19 team, the Primavera, but they'll be part of Milan Futuro. But it's important
00:42:36to give minutes to players. The Youth League is a great experience. It's wonderful. The Primavera
00:42:44have done well over the last two years. But if you're asking me whether I want to actually win
00:42:49the Youth League or want to take five players into the first team, I'd choose the latter. I
00:42:53want five players breaking into the first team and not necessarily winning the Youth League.
00:42:59But it's a great experience for these guys. They play international matches. It's like a
00:43:05mini Champions League. These games give you a great deal. But trying to win the Youth League
00:43:19with older players, I don't know, because in terms of the experience I've had over recent years,
00:43:25I've seen that a number of teams had a number of young players in these sides,
00:43:31whereas we had a bit of a mix in our team. But as I said, it's a great experience.
00:43:40Those that won't be available and those that are in the U19 side, they'll be the team that are
00:43:45playing in the Youth League. But then we'll have a mix between those that
00:43:50playing in Milan Futuro and those playing in the U19 side.
00:43:55And then it will come down to Daniele Bonera picking who he wants.
00:44:06Good morning to both of you. To Daniele, I wanted to ask you,
00:44:12Milan Futuro are part of League B. I don't know if you've looked at your opponents.
00:44:19And to Zlatan, with a smile on my face, I'm coming back to what you were saying a little
00:44:26bit before. You were talking about the first team. We're now missing a number nine in the
00:44:30first team. But when the number nine will come in, Francesco Camarda will do everything in his power
00:44:35to compete for that nine berth. Do you plan to sign someone that will make it very difficult
00:44:45for Camarda to break into a really top class center forward to actually close the door to
00:44:49Camarda? No, but if Camarda was ready, he would already be our number nine today.
00:44:56We have a lot of belief and faith in Francesco Camarda, but we need to protect him.
00:45:04And we need to get to the reality. The dream is one thing. Francesco needs to do everything in
00:45:10his power to break into the first team, but he needs to focus more on his development.
00:45:15Both on and off the pitch.
00:45:24Because it's not only a case of picking him and then he'll sort everything out and win matches
00:45:27for us. As I said, we need to protect him. We've got a huge responsibility. And as for the first
00:45:33team number nine, we'll speak about that from Monday onwards. Today we're focused on Milan
00:45:38Futuro. But the idea is to lay the ground for Camarda from today via Milan Futuro so he can
00:45:48break into the first team. And Milan Futuro is a great opportunity for him to play men's football
00:45:59and to understand how he can develop in matches,
00:46:03and allow him to learn so that he can get to grips with the situation.
00:46:08Because he's a very intelligent guy. He moves very well on the pitch.
00:46:14But of course, there's a physical side of things. There's a different tempo.
00:46:20I think the Serie C defenders are a bit dirtier than they are at U19 level.
00:46:27But if they play against Francesco Camarda, they won't have any respect for him.
00:46:31And they'll do everything in their power to show him that he's got no business being in Serie C.
00:46:39But we'll be behind Camarda.
00:46:44And if need be, then I'll go out onto the pitch and I'll defend him. I'll stand up for him. No,
00:46:48all jokes aside, we'll give him time to develop along the right lines. We don't want to rush
00:46:57things so that he gets to the first team. The important thing is his development is gradual
00:47:02and he doesn't take one step forward and then three back. If we do things that way,
00:47:07then we've got everything wrong. And that's not fair for Francesco Camarda to load up too much
00:47:13responsibility on his shoulders. But as Daniele has said, he's one of those talented players
00:47:18that we are pushing and in whom we believe a great deal. From the 1st of July, he actually
00:47:25became a consummate professional to all effects. How old is he? 16? He's 16 and he's already a
00:47:34full-time pro. And it's not easy. It's not easy. It's a huge responsibility. He signed a contract.
00:47:41He needs to keep going to school online because if he needs to train here in the morning,
00:47:48so everything's moving very quickly for him. That's why it's important for him to keep his
00:47:55feet on the ground and allow him to grow into a man because he's still a boy.
00:48:07I did see the draw for what league and what section we'd be put in.
00:48:13Over the last six weeks, I've actually gone in person to watch some matches of the
00:48:18C-League. So I've seen Avellino, Catania, Vicenza, Padova,
00:48:25Pergolettese near here. And I was shocked by the intensity, the tempo, the physical
00:48:33component. I tried to imagine the kids coming up against teams like these.
00:48:40And in League B, there are some teams with a lot of history and prestige, so it won't be easy.
00:48:46But we are confident. And as I said at the start, we need to make sure that we do a good job of
00:48:53actually bringing down the learning curve and figuring out where we are.
00:49:02Last two questions because we've been out of time.
00:49:07Good morning to both. A question first for Ibra and then one for Daniele. You spoke about
00:49:12Jimenez before. So does that mean you might not necessarily sign a backup to Teo Hernandez
00:49:18because potentially Jimenez could play that role? And League B means that you'll also come up
00:49:25against Ignazio Abate, who was Primavera head coach. Have you spoken to him? How nice will it
00:49:32be to come up against him? Because you were there a number of matches at Vismara last season.
00:49:37Jimenez will be backup to Teo Hernandez.
00:49:42If he won't play in the first team, he'll play for Milan Futuro. And that's the advantage.
00:49:49A year ago and before that, if you had a backup to a first team player,
00:49:54they didn't have time or minutes on the pitch. Whereas with Milan Futuro, he can play for that
00:50:00team. And if he's not playing in the first team, and that's very important.
00:50:07I don't think it's easy to take Teo's place in the team.
00:50:12So as a talent, you're not ready. But at the same time,
00:50:16we need to give you the platform upon which to develop. But if we don't have this Milan Futuro
00:50:23side today, then we'd need to actually give you specific training sessions. But you can't develop
00:50:27on the training ground. And in order to play, you need to be better than Teo. And that's
00:50:32very difficult to do. And that's why when you have this opportunity with Milan Futuro, as I said,
00:50:38it's all about giving minutes and playing time to these youngsters. In order to develop,
00:50:43you need to play. It's not Serie A, it's Serie C, but he will develop. Yes, he will be the
00:50:50backup player to Teo Hernandez. In recent times, I haven't spoken to Ignazio. We both needed to
00:50:58take a break. But we've always seen each other here at Milanello. And I kept a very close eye
00:51:04on the U19 side, as you know. And we were always on the same page. So fate has seen to it that we
00:51:12would come straight up against one another in my first time as a coach in Serie C, his first time
00:51:18as a coach in Serie C. And so we look forward to seeing one another out there. Il giornale.
00:51:25Only Italian players at Milan Futuro. We'll only pick Italian players.
00:51:38I wanted to ask Zlatan. A little earlier, you said we need to also bring in some experienced
00:51:44guys for the Serie C level. Well done. I share that. Can you think about doing that?
00:51:53That's for Jovan. Do you think the same thing for the first team?
00:52:03If we're talking about Milan Futuro, this is a league where I imagine it won't be easy for the
00:52:13kids. We need to bring in a few players that will have that level that can share their experience
00:52:26with these kids. Because if our kids go out in every game and get kicked about and lose every
00:52:34game, that won't help them mentally. You need to win some matches as well. That's why
00:52:43of course, with Jovan's responsibility, we're looking for some experienced players
00:52:48to strike the right balance. But they will also have a big responsibility and that's not easy,
00:52:55because if I play with a talented young player and mine more experienced,
00:53:00of course, my ego is that I want to break into the first team.
00:53:06But they will be informed that actually our goal is to actually have the young talented players
00:53:15break into the first team with the greatest of respect to these guys. If they're 25 or 27 years
00:53:20of age, they're not already in the Milan first team. It will be difficult for them to break into
00:53:24it unless they come up with miracles. Junior Macias is an example. How old was he? He had a
00:53:32slightly different route in the game. But Junior Macias was more of a miracle case, if you will.
00:53:40Maybe things might come about. But they'll be the leaders. They'll be the example for these
00:53:46talented youngsters. And they'll try and give us a bit of balance in matches. That's very important.
00:53:51Otherwise, they will struggle to play matches such as these. It's important to have that balance.
00:54:02Thank you. And for Daniele, I wanted to ask you, do you not think this might also be a big opportunity
00:54:12for you to increase the number of Italians at Milan?
00:54:21Yes, we have given a lot of thought to that. But I do think it is an opportunity to train
00:54:29young Italian players at Milan Futuro that can then join up with the first team.
00:54:34But as Zlatan was saying, we need to make sure, regardless of their nationality,
00:54:38we need to pinpoint talents. And we need to identify the player profiles that are in line,
00:54:45that marry with what the first team targets are. As you know, the first team is a very high level.
00:54:51So regardless of their nationality, I think it's important to identify the player profiles.
00:54:56Let's finish up with Carlo Pellegatti. First question to Bonera and then I'll ask one to Zlatan.
00:55:06We saw Atalanta U23s against Catania at the Caravaggio ground. What did you make of the
00:55:13Atalanta kids? And we're talking a lot about the future of players. Let's talk about the future
00:55:19of Daniele Bonera, who could work towards actually making it into the first team.
00:55:27You're up against Francesco Baldini at Lecco. You're up against Carrera, who won at Spartak,
00:55:34Stellone. You've got Gallo. What does it mean for you, on a personal level,
00:55:40to come up against these coaches? And what did you make of the Atalanta side?
00:55:45No, personally. And I actually did my UEFA Pro license with Baldini. So I'll be pleased to
00:55:52see him again. And we've been in touch. We've stayed in touch over the years.
00:55:58But I think it's a great opportunity for me.
00:56:03I will play a starring role here, a leading role after five years of apprenticeship.
00:56:09So in the evenings, I would jot down my plans, my ideas, of course.
00:56:17It is a great opportunity, but a huge responsibility as well. As I said earlier,
00:56:23looking at the level of matches live, you realize that there is a big difference between U19 level
00:56:31and Serie C level. And above all, it comes down to physicality. There's huge, impactful jewels
00:56:37there. So we need to make sure we do a good job that we're able to actually harness different
00:56:43qualities to bridge the gap. But as you said, we will need slightly older guys that can give us a
00:56:50hand to get up and running towards a slightly easier route down the road. We hope we can get
00:56:56that right from day one. But we will be motivated by those initial difficulties. Zlatan, I need to
00:57:05admit something. I love foreign players. I'm not bothered about Italians. I like good players,
00:57:12whether they're Italian or... Are you guys friends or not?
00:57:20Because of my age, I was also pleased when Marc van Bommel came in, when
00:57:26Fernando Redondo came in, when Emerson came in. I prefer a safe player of hands.
00:57:36Emerson started at Yokohama, as Bonera will remind me.
00:57:43But you played for Barcelona. Spanish football is all about development, young players breaking
00:57:52through. Some people are saying Yamal would have never played in Italy. You know Barcelona,
00:58:02you know Italian and Spanish games. Is it true that Yamal would never have played in the Italian
00:58:08league? What do you make of that? Yamal would have played had he had a club behind him that
00:58:18gave him space, that gave him an opportunity, and a coach that gives him space. I remember
00:58:26Sinisa Mihailovic, when he picked Gigio Donnarumma, and a number of people had doubts,
00:58:31but he really forced the issue. What's important are the indications from the club. Either you
00:58:36believe or you don't. Sure, it's true that in Italy, certain talented young players are
00:58:45overshadowed because they want players who are ready, because everyone's thinking about their
00:58:49own job. If they don't get results, then they might change the head coach. Whereas at Barcelona,
00:58:54there's that tradition where they bring through young players from the academy and they give
00:58:58them space in the team, and they show that they believe in these young players. But it's also true
00:59:05that at Barcelona, they play in a system from the academy, right from the young age groups,
00:59:12right up until the first team. Because I remember when I played there, they brought in kids from the
00:59:19academy and they all played in exactly the same way, the same shape as the first team. There was
00:59:23no difference. It was just the name on the back of the shirt. So that's quite unique,
00:59:31because Barcelona always followed the same philosophy. Whereas in Italy, I can't speak
00:59:37on behalf of everyone, but when you bring in a coach, you bring in that coach's philosophy,
00:59:42his way of working. So what you did in the past with a different coach, then is completely changed.
00:59:51So what is important now, in terms of what we're doing, is laying the foundations. We want to
00:59:58implement the methodology in terms of how we want them to work, what sort of training sessions we
01:00:05want them to do, what sort of player profiles, what sort of development they need to have
01:00:12up until the first team. Then in the first team, it will be the head coach that brings in his
01:00:18philosophy, and then he'll play in his own way. But before the first team, we'll do this
01:00:23methodology where they'll follow a certain way of working, and then it depends on what age group
01:00:29they'll do certain things depending on how old they are. But it depends on the club, it depends
01:00:34on how much they're pushing these talents forward and how much they believe in these talented
01:00:37players. But if you're saying to me that I absolutely must win, it's difficult to actually
01:00:44give responsibility and pick someone like Francesco Camarda week in week out. But he might
01:00:50actually do well, and it might be wow, but you need 10 world-class players around Camarda that
01:00:56protect him, that do a lot of work, that protect him. But if the team's not that great, there'll
01:01:05be even more responsibility on him to make the difference and be a match winner. So he's not
01:01:09protected in the same way as Lamin Yamal is in Barcelona also with the Spanish national team
01:01:15because he's playing with 10 world-class players. It's a lot easier to push your talent forward if
01:01:21things are like that. But I hope that there are talented young players breaking through,
01:01:27they will have the opportunity to play because the talent is always for the future, and that's
01:01:32why we've chosen Milan Futuro as the name. Thank you.