Camarda returns to San Siro. What have his first two months in Lecce been like?

This is a story of memories, of memories that come and go. The memory of Francesco Camarda, who disappeared from a blow to the head during the league match against AC Milan (and from there, the substitution at halftime, the worry, a gap in his memory). The memory of Camarda who tomorrow night will return to the past, to his life as a AC Milan fan and then a player. Camarda is about to return to San Siro, and in Lecce he is considered the favorite to start, on a strange Coppa Italia night, between a Milan team where everything works and a Lecce team where nothing goes as it should.

Camarda asks his favorite saint for a gift: his first goal for the first team, which he's been chasing for months and has come close to scoring more than once. In the Champions League, eleven months ago against Club Brugge, Francesco celebrated, enjoyed the roar of the Curva, felt his heart skip a beat, and then suddenly felt sad: the goal was disallowed. He'll try again against the team he's always supported.

This month of the season has shown him that life in Serie A is difficult, tough. Lecce is obviously no AC Milan, and Camarda is struggling. Look play by play at his last two games, against Atalanta and Cagliari. Francesco had only one interesting ball, a volley from the edge of the box against Atalanta, but otherwise his life on the pitch has been about chasing balls, dueling with centre-backs twice his size, and at most receiving the odd ball with his back to goal to pass to Kaba, Tete Morente, or who knows who else. Clear passes: very few. Real scoring opportunities: none.

His playing time, if that weren't enough, is declining: 83 minutes in the opening game of the season, then 45, 19, and 17. A slippery slope: game after game, fewer and fewer. Camarda is clearly not ready to make a difference in Serie A, but that's normal. Totti scored four goals for Roma in his 18th-year season, Cassano three for Bari. The journey is complex for everyone. Francesco, on the other hand, seems to be happy in Lecce: he lives in the city, his parents are often with him, and the rivalry with Stulic is not easy but not impossible either. The fans also support him: his number 22, clearly inspired by Brazilian influence (Kakà...), was Lecce's best-selling jersey this summer. So, patience is needed: there will be bad moments, but there will be plenty of opportunities. San Siro, after that prank against Brugge, owes him a favor.