AC Milan teenager Francesco Camarda will play no part in next month’s Champions League clash with Newcastle United due to a strict UEFA rule.
On Saturday evening, the 15-year-old became the youngest Serie A player in history when he came on in a 1-0 win over Fiorentina.
Camarda came on for Luka Jovic with seven minutes remaining and was met with a standing ovation from the San Siro fans.
He excelled in a brief appearance, and fans are eager to see more of the forward, who is claimed to have averaged about 5.5 goals per game as a teenager.
If you were hoping to see him play in the Champions League during Milan’s last Group F game against Newcastle, you’ll be disappointed.
UEFA rules specify that a player under the age of 16 and without a professional contract cannot make his Champions League debut.
Camarda will not turn 16 until March, making him ineligible for European participation.
He’s also on suspension after being sent off in a Youth League encounter earlier this month with Paris Saint-Germain’s U19s.
Camarda trained with the first team prior to Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund, but he was not included to the squad.
Milan are now bottom of the group, with their single victory coming last month against PSG.
Edin Terzic’s squad qualified with goals from Marco Reus, Jamie Byone-Gittens, and Karim Adeyemi.
Milan must now defeat Newcastle to have any chance of making the final 16.
“I think we lost it the moment we could’ve directed the game our way, on the penalty, but also just a minute before their second goal when we could’ve gone 2-1 up on the counter-attack and didn’t finish it off,” manager Stefano Piolo said after the game.
“It takes the wind out of your sails when you don’t score and then concede.” Losing [Malick] Thiaw obviously harmed our defensive balance. We should’ve defended better on those situations.
“We were also able to create chances at the other end, which we knew would happen.
“There were moments when we should’ve put the game on our side and instead the momentum shifted the other way when our opponents were more clinical, sharper and more prepared to take those chances.
“Naturally, when Dortmund have those wide open spaces to attack into, they become very dangerous.”
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