Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning to AC Milan in a coaching role would speed up Rafael Leao’s journey to becoming a major leader for the club, a report suggests.
As has been written in today’s edition of Corriere della Sera (via Milan News), Leao is growing in importance for Milan after each game but they would still like to see more from him when it comes to leadership.
He took the captain’s armband for the game against Verona at the weekend which was a step in the right direction, and it also shows that Milan would like him to captain the team permanently in the future.
There was a good relationship between Ibrahimovic and Leao when the Swede was a player for the Rossoneri and there is a strong feeling at the club that were Ibrahimovic to return, Leao would greatly benefit.
Ibrahimovic has reportedly been offered a job role at the club going forward.
This Milan wanting Leao to be the captain reminds me of the Ronaldo- Inter situation from the late 1990’s when Inter management and ownership gave the captain’s armband to someone who didn’t have captain’s qualities just because he was their best player. I remember Ivan Zamorano saying that the players didn’t choose Ronaldo but it came from upper management.
Players know who the leader in the locker room is, they are around each other every day.
Leao is Milan best player but he isn’t a leader and captain material.
Zlatan presence wouldn’t help that development either because Zlatan, who was an all time great player, was never a captain material either. What club did Zlatan ever captain even though he played till he was 41?
Great leaders take the blame but pass the credit. Zlatan was way too self-centered to ever pass the credit and take the blame. That doesn’t take away from his greatness as a player, but not a leader.
Maldini as a player was a great example of captain and a leader. Never too high, never too low, always in control of himself. Can’t be a leader and have others under your control if you can’t control yourself and Zlatan couldn’t control himself for most of his career.
In the absence of Calabria Theo Hernandez and Tonali who is to wear Milan’s captain’s armband?
This is not English premier league where someone like Jude Bellingham ming move to Manchester United today and wear the captain’s armband tomorrow, follow the hierarchy..
If Calabria was in the field against Verona, who is Leao to captain Milan when Theo Hernandez is also in the field, in the absence of this 2 and if Tonali was around, he (Tonali) will be the 3rd captain of Milan before considering Leao.
AND YES IN THE ABSENCE OF CALABRIA AND THEO HERNANDEZ, RAFA LEAO IS THE NEXT CAPTAIN OF AC MILAN BEFORE FIKAYO TOMORI.
I hope this too is not personal hatred or something because anything this kid does is now an issue and an opportunity to criticise him.
He missed a chance after he dribbled past 4 players, and geniuses are now attacking him daily. You know how smart someone is after you see that repeating…
Are you seriously asking the team Zlatan Ibrahimovic captained? 🤣
Ibrahimovic captain the Swedish national team for 6 years including during the European championships in 2012 and 2016.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the first choice captain of Sweden for many years before his retirement.
So which football are you watching exactly? Because no football fan will ask suck pointless questions.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was never the first choice captain at PSG but he captained PSG in some matches like Leao did against Verona.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was never the first choice captain of Manchester United but he captain Manchester United in some matches, go and verify.
Zlatan ibrahimovic was never the first choice captain of LA Galaxy but he captained them during some matches, go and verify.
Ha ha . Read again. What CLUB did Zlatan captain? None. If you are not the first choice captain than you are not the captain.
Thiago Silva who moved to PSG in the same summer with Zlatan was chosen to be PSG captain not even 2 years later, not Zlatan.
Dude played 25 years of professional football and was never the captain on his team and he was a captain of Sweden only for 6 years even though he played for them 20 years.
Stop grasping for straws.
He was a great player but not a captain material.
Do you know Zlatan was the first option for captain at PSG, right? In the first season(2012-13) Sakho was the captain and Jallet the vice-captain. In 2013, Sakho left the Club, Jallet was moved to the bench, and Leonardo & Blanc both choose Zlatan as the new captain. But he refused. After that, they gave it to Thiago Silva, who was the option to vice-cap. Ibrahimovic became a real leader in his PSG days, and showed that in Man Utd, LA Galaxy and AC Milan. Just because he didn’t like to wear a brace, doesn’t mean he’s not captain material. Just watch some of his after-game interviews the last 2 years at AC Milan, and you will understand. He was selfless, and only cared about winning and development of the young players.
Milan has a leadership issue.
This isn’t just about Leao.
Calabria is only captain because he is a Primavera player. Does that make him a leader and captain material?
Theo also is not a captain material because he can’t control himself.
If the general doesn’t panic the troops don’t panic. Theo is the first to overreact and make a bad situation worse.
The coach is definitely not a leader. Look at Ancelotti. His team loses 1 game and he comes out and take responsibility and says it’s his fault. Pioli on the other hand gets shallacked by inter 5-1 which made that his umpteenth loss to inter just this year, and he won’t take responsibility or even apologize to the fans.
Maignan is probably the most suited to be the captain because of his personality and leadership ability, holding players accountable.
Who is Leao going to hold accountable when he is the laziest person on the field.
As much as I like Milan’s longevity = captain tradition, I think it should be Maignan.
In Theory, yes. But how do you Captain a team after, for example, letting in 5 goals against Inter? What are you going to say in the locker room after that?
Truth is, we don’t seem to have an Alpha in the team. I’d say maybe Kjaer but he rarely takes the field… so….
You are 💯right
Bonnuci was the captain , the longevity stuff is shit