LEARNING LESSONS IN LUXURY: APIA YOUNGSTERS SPEND WEEK AT AC MILAN
Viareggio Cup Week 1 Update from inside the U19 Squad’s Camp in Italy!
The first week of our under 19 travelling squad’s adventures in Italy for Viareggio Cup 2025 have seen some spectacular experiences shared – such as Serie A matches and spending the week in one of Europe’s top teams’ training camp – AC Milan. Hear the words of FrogOnline’s Andrew Mandaglio from inside the group as they prepare for the action in Viareggio against Sassuolo, Magic Stars FC and Casarano next week!
Days 1 & 2
After 30 hours of travel, the team finally settled into their hotel rooms for some well-earned rest before heading to the Inter Milan vs. Monza match.
It was a thrilling prime-time 8:45 PM kickoff in Italy, with Monza taking a 2-0 lead before Inter staged an incredible comeback to win 3-2 in front of 66,000 fans.
On Sunday, the players explored Milan’s historic landmarks, including Duomo di Milano, Piazza della Scala, Castello Sforzesco, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and Arco della Pace.
Today, they kick off their first training session at Vismara, home of AC Milan’s youth sector, before heading to Casa Milan for lunch and a tour of the museum. In the afternoon, they’ll be back at Vismara for another session with AC Milan’s coaches.
On Tuesday, training continues at Vismara, followed by a match against Promozione side USSA Rozzano!
Day 3
Today’s training session at AC Milan was a fantastic experience for the players as they worked with coaches Danilo and Davide. Danilo has been with AC Milan for over 30 years, while Davide is the AC Milan Academy Technical Director, bringing invaluable expertise to the session.
After training, the team returned to Casa Milan for lunch and a tour of the club museum. A special highlight of the day was meeting Champions League winner and former Italy World Cup player Daniele Massaro (1990 & 1994). He took the time to chat with the players and staff, sharing insights from his legendary career and taking photos with the squad.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to tactics, with Coach Davide and APIA’s Coach Alistair leading a session specifically designed to prepare the team for the upcoming tournament.
The intensity is building, and the squad is making the most of every moment! ⚽🇮🇹
Day 4
The morning session with AC Milan coaches Davide and Danilo focused on finding the third man in build-up play and pressing in a mid-block—key tactical elements to prepare the squad for the upcoming tournament matches against Sassuolo, Magic Stars (Nigeria), and Casarano.
First Match in Italy – APIA vs. ASD Rozzano Calcio
In the afternoon, we played our first match in Italy against Promozione club ASD Rozzano Calcio. Founded in 1997, Rozzano Calcio emerged from a collective of four clubs that began in the early 1970s. Despite being from a lower socioeconomic area of Milan, the club boasts some of the best facilities in the city—including a grass pitch stadium, an additional grass pitch, two state-of-the-art synthetic pitches, 12 brand-new change rooms, and an on-site restaurant and bar.
Our opponents, Rozzano’s U19 squad, currently sit top of the Regionale League, the highest-level youth competition outside professional clubs in the region.
Match Recap
Despite the 3-0 loss, the scoreline didn’t reflect the quality of our performance. Two of Rozzano’s goals were clearly offside, and we were denied a penalty. The team created plenty of chances but couldn’t find the back of the net, while the goals we conceded came against the run of play.
It was a fantastic first hit-out for the squad. Rozzano was a physically strong opponent, but the match was played in the right spirit, ending with a post-match team photo—a great display of mutual respect and possibly the beginning of another strong connection between APIA and Italian football clubs.
Starting XI:
1. DiBona
16. Balian, 6. Imbro, 2. Giles, 5. DiGiacomo
11. Ippolito
23. Capuano, 4. Secondo, 8. Basmajian
9. Cotter, 10. Court ©
Substitutes:
7. Conway (10’)
22. Wilkinson (46’), Maoate-Mani (46’)
20. Majurovski (46’), 15. Sousa (46’), 21. Boutros (46’)
19. Falcetta (46’), 18. Jolly (46’)
The squad is growing in confidence, and we’re looking forward to the next challenge!
Forza APIA! ⚽🔥🇮🇹
Day 5
Wednesday marked the conclusion of our time in Milan, wrapping up with a Milan U18s vs. Fiorentina match—a great opportunity for our players to witness the level of competition they’ll face in the Viareggio Cup next week. Fiorentina took an early lead, but Milan stormed back with four unanswered goals, showcasing the intensity and quality we’re preparing for.
At the end of our time with AC Milan, our players received their certificates and took photos with coaches Danilo and Davide. As a gesture of appreciation, our coaching staff presented souvenirs and club plaques to AC Milan, celebrating what has been an incredible experience and the start of a growing relationship between our clubs.
Match Recap: APIA vs. Aldini Bariviera
The afternoon saw us take on Aldini Bariviera, one of the biggest developers of youth talent outside Milan’s professional clubs. Their U18s are serial trophy winners, having won national and state championships, making this another tough challenge.
The match started with Aldini dominating possession, while APIA settled into a low block, preparing for our tournament opener against Sassuolo. Despite their control of the ball, Aldini struggled to break us down, resorting to long-range shots or balls in behind that were well handled by our defense and goalkeeper.
At halftime, the score remained 0-0, but Aldini found a breakthrough early in the second half, scrambling home a goal after a few deflections inside the box.
APIA didn’t back down, and just 10 minutes later, we struck back. A ball down the right flank found Dylan Cotter, who whipped in a perfect cross to the near post. On-loan striker Orlando Falcetta met it first-time, flicking the ball beyond the keeper.
1-1 and the intensity rose. APIA began pressing higher up the pitch, creating several counter-attacking opportunities. One such pressing moment led to a corner, initially cleared to the edge of the area. Kristian Majurovski cleverly won a foul 25 yards from goal, setting up a crucial free kick.
A few APIA players lined up over the ball, but senior player Cotter took charge. With just three steps back, he waited for the referee’s whistle before curling a brilliant strike over the wall and into the bottom corner—leaving the Aldini keeper no chance.
2-1 APIA with 15 minutes left.
A determined defensive effort followed, with our low block and tactical discipline frustrating Aldini and their coaching staff. Their reaction at full-time said it all—they hadn’t expected to lose this match, but APIA had proven them wrong.
A huge result for the squad and another step forward in our Viareggio Cup preparation.
Starting XI:
22. Wilkinson
15. Sousa, 2. Giles, 14. Maoate-Mani, 5. DiGiacomo, 7. Conway
20. Majurovski, 21. Boutros, 10. Court (c)
19. Falcetta, 18. Jolly
Substitutes:
9. Cotter (46’)
1. DiBona (46’), 4. Secondo (46’), 16. Balian (46’)
6. Imbro (46’), 23. Capuano (46’)
Forza APIA! 🇮🇹⚽🔥
Incredible insight on an historic week for the club as we continue to build our valued relationship with the giants that are AC Milan. Stay tuned across the APIA website and social media pages – search @APIALeichhardtFC – for all else regarding our time on tour this March.
Article text written by Andrew Mandaglio of FrogOnline
Article constructed by Jude Dolan of Pitchside Media Solutions
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