THE 2002 BOYS

“Even though I never talk about individuals, I’d like to underline the performances of some of the 2002 boys: Tahar, who has just arrived and is still struggling with the language; Stanga, who had an incredible game; Bosisio for his goal; Capone who came on right at the end. They all gave it their all, and they’re boys on whom we can certainly rely for the entirety of the season ahead.”

These songs of praise came from Federico Giunti on 31 August 2019, following his side’s great success in the prestigious Mamma Cairo Trophy. But back to the future: just a few months later, Coach Federico Giunti completed his mission of bringing the Rossoneri Primavera back into the top flight. Much in thanks to the great contribution of the 2002 boys along the way.

One name that especially stood out from the rest, especially during the second half of the season, was that of Lorenzo Colombo: a fearsome forward, with nine goals from six appearances this season. He played a total of just 299 minutes, scoring a goal every 33. Before that however came a bad injury to the foot, which saw him miss out on the U17 World Cup in Brazil. Andreas Jungdal is another one deserving of a mention, winning Best Goalkeeper at the Mamma Cairo Tournament, doing well in place of Soncin as he made seven appearances and countless heroic saves. Riccardo Oddi, with AC Milan since 2016, had a superb run at left-back due to his impressive workrate and defensive focus.

The same goes for Luca Stanga, who is becoming a better player with every game on the right. Riad Tahar saw his season split between the Under-18s and the Primavera, getting great results along with Andrea Capone, who netted his first goal and recorded his first assist of the season for the Primavera on Saturday against Brescia, having already got plenty with the Under-18s. Coach Giunti also brought the joy of a Primavera debut to Marco Bosisio, Giovanni Robotti, Leonardo Moleri and Gabriele Galardi.

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