Behrami Questions AC Milan’s Development Plan for Francesco Camarda
Former Switzerland international Valon Behrami has criticised AC Milan’s handling of teenage striker Francesco Camarda, arguing that the club has yet to provide the young forward with the playing time and development pathway needed to progress. Speaking in the DAZN studio, Behrami questioned whether Milan’s approach is helping the highly rated prospect gain the experience required to make the step from youth football to the senior game.
Camarda’s talent has made him one of the most closely watched young players in Italian football. But potential alone does not guarantee a smooth career, particularly for a forward still learning the physical, technical and tactical demands of top-level competition. Behrami’s comments have renewed a wider debate about how elite clubs should manage young players: keep them within the first-team environment, or send them elsewhere to earn regular minutes?
Behrami: Training cannot replace competitive matches
Behrami took issue with the suggestion that Camarda can continue developing primarily through training with Milan’s senior squad. In his view, practice sessions cannot provide the same lessons as regular competitive football. A young striker needs to make decisions under pressure, adapt to different opponents and learn from the consequences of mistakes—experiences that are difficult to reproduce on the training ground.
“I can’t understand the training argument: it gives you nothing,” Behrami said, as he discussed the challenge of finding the right next step for the teenager. His point was not that training has no value, but that it cannot substitute for a sustained run of appearances. For a forward, match experience can be especially important: movement in the penalty area, timing runs behind a defence and competing physically with experienced defenders are skills that develop through repetition.
Behrami also stressed that Camarda may need a substantial period of senior football before he is ready to establish himself at Milan. Referring to the view that the youngster should arrive at the club with 30 to 40 matches behind him, he suggested that a carefully planned development route could have prepared him better for the demands of the Rossoneri first team.
Contract and loan-market complications
The former midfielder identified Camarda’s contract situation as another obstacle. Once a young player signs a lucrative deal with a major club, potential loan destinations may find the financial terms difficult to manage. Clubs in the Netherlands or Belgium, which can offer valuable opportunities for young footballers, may not be able to meet a high salary without help from the parent club.
There is also a sporting and financial calculation for the receiving team. A club taking an 18-year-old on loan will want a clear reason to invest in his development, and it may expect the player to contribute on the pitch. If the youngster does not play regularly, the arrangement can offer little benefit to either side. A loan destination needs to believe that the player can strengthen its squad, while the parent club must be confident that the environment will provide meaningful minutes and appropriate coaching.
That makes a loan more complicated than simply identifying a club with a vacancy. Milan would need to find a team whose style suits Camarda, whose coaches are willing to trust him and whose sporting priorities align with his development. Without those conditions, a temporary move could leave a prospect with limited playing time and little progress.
The importance of relationships between clubs
Behrami argued that strong links between clubs can make a major difference when arranging development moves. A parent club needs reliable relationships with teams that are prepared to give young players genuine opportunities, rather than treating them as short-term squad additions. Such partnerships can help ensure that a loan has a clear purpose, regular communication and a suitable role for the player.
He questioned whether Milan currently have the right structure in place to build those connections effectively, pointing to the importance of having a sporting director capable of establishing a network of trusted clubs. For a side with high ambitions, that work can be just as important as recruiting established stars. A strong development strategy allows a club to monitor a player’s progress, assess his performances and decide when he is ready to return.
For Camarda, the ideal destination would likely be one where he can compete for minutes without carrying unrealistic expectations. A team that plays an attacking style, creates chances and gives young forwards responsibility could help him improve. At the same time, the level must be challenging enough to expose areas for growth. The right move is not necessarily the most prestigious one; it is the one that offers the best combination of playing time, coaching and competitive pressure.
Behrami sees little progress in limited appearances
Behrami also said he had not seen clear improvement in Camarda’s brief opportunities with Milan. He pointed to areas including personality, body positioning, technique and tactical understanding—qualities that young forwards often refine through regular exposure to senior football.
That assessment should be viewed in the context of Camarda’s limited minutes. Short appearances can make it difficult to judge a player fairly, particularly when he enters matches late or in situations where the team is protecting a result. A striker may have only a handful of touches, leaving little time to demonstrate movement, link-up play or composure in front of goal. Still, Behrami’s criticism reflects a central concern: if the club wants to evaluate Camarda’s development, he needs consistent opportunities rather than occasional cameos.
For Milan, the challenge is balancing immediate results with long-term planning. The first team operates under pressure to win, and coaches may be reluctant to give a teenager extended minutes in competitive matches. Yet keeping a prospect close without a clear route to the pitch can also slow his progress. The club must decide whether Camarda is best served by remaining in the senior environment, gaining experience with the reserve side or moving on loan to another club.
What comes next for Milan and Camarda?
Behrami’s remarks are not a definitive prediction of Camarda’s future, but they underline the risks of leaving a young player’s development to chance. A successful pathway requires more than a professional contract and access to first-team training. It needs a realistic assessment of readiness, a defined role and a plan for regular competitive football.
Camarda’s next steps will therefore be closely followed by Milan supporters and observers of Italian football. If the club can secure the right environment and manage his minutes carefully, the teenager may continue developing without being rushed into a role he is not yet ready to handle. If no suitable opportunity emerges, Milan could face the difficult task of finding a loan arrangement that works financially as well as sporting-wise.
The broader lesson reaches beyond one player. Europe’s leading clubs regularly recruit and promote teenage talents, but their success depends on what happens after the first-team breakthrough. Behrami’s criticism raises an important question for AC Milan: can the club turn Camarda’s promise into a structured development plan, or will the gap between training and regular football remain the biggest obstacle to his progress?
