Rafael Leao is enduring a difficult period at present, and it could not be clearer. For AC Milan and Portugal, he is falling below the levels expected of him, and Kaka has stated that the Rossoneri must support the winger to help him return to his best.
A fully confident Leao is one of the best wingers in world football. At present, it could not be clearer that this player is not the one at Milan. The winger is going through his most difficult period in a Rossoneri shirt, and the Diavolo need him to find a way out.
Kaka suggested the way to do this is to support him when he was speaking to SportMediaset (via Milan News), and he will emerge from this period.
“In the derby, Milan gave a great signal after what happened against Liverpool. Winning against Inter and playing well was a good response. If the Rossoneri continue to play like they did in the derby there are good prospects for the championship. We saw a team with a different attitude and very good, fighting for the result.
“Leao? He’s a player I like a lot, he has strength, quality and technique. We have to support him, he can help this Milan team a lot. Gabbia? He can also help the Italian national team, another Rossoneri in the Azzurri.”
Whilst Leao’s smile has not faded, it does not glow with the same confidence as it has in previous years. For his and Milan’s sake, that needs to change soon, and it can. After all the best players experience dips in form, and their surge out of it is normally what establishes them as greats.
I rewatched the derby again tonight.
I really don’t think Leao had a bad game.
He was involved a lot. Particularly in the second half.
All that was missing was the perfect finish.
The header miss was the easier one to miss than the late shot he had.
If that so, then there’s something need to be fixed. Either leao must improvise his technique, or the defender getting better at defending leao
He actually did put more effort in than usual. There were a few good chances and he made space in the second half. However, if the derby doesn’t make him put in a bigger effort all around than this, what little effort can we expect for standard matches?
A derby is where you give extra effort, if this was his extra effort I don’t want to see him on the field regularly. He needs some humiliation.
I think Leao is gonna get sold. I think once he is somewehre else he will realise how good he had it here and will come to regret his halfbaked approach to the sport
I think he needs a strong coach. We haven’t provided that. Look at Lukaku. He can be amazing, but needs a Conte or similar coach to whoop his but but also talk.
Kaka is wrong about it
Leao has our back up and curva sud and everyone for long time, but this time is ENOUGH
ENOUGH with his attitude
Yeah, he knows way less about football than you. Makes sense. That is why you can say he is wrong about it, from your experience. 🥹
Yes i would rather listen to a nobody then a ac milan legend leao is the player he is and even if he hasnt have the most fluent start to the season we should still support him. Look at lautaro martinez he ha sonly 1 assits compared to leao 1 goal and 2 assist but i dont see the inter players wanting him out of the club.
I hope this man is okay after his wife left him for the stupid reason she did. Crazy leaving your husband because “he’s too good to me”
For such a successful football star, rapper and fashion designer, Leao needs a lot of hand holding. Perhaps the club should hire a personal psychologist? Or maybe one of those people that follows you around repeating “you are the greatest, you are the greatest”? Or a bard, like the one that follows Sir Robin in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (before he runs away).
all of those and a butler
You are all obsessed with off-pitch Leão. Are you just envious that the kid looks good, has a fashion sense, and likes music? Because, you know, he is not drinking, partying non-stop, womanizing, or beating up women. He doesn’t seem to be racist, sexist, or arrogant with people below him. He is generally a happy individual and a nice person. So what if he likes music and fashion? Lots of kids his age do.
Your sarcastic comment about Rafa is just nasty and demonstrates your hatred.
If you want to criticize him on the pitch, you’ll be overall wrong (due to Rafa’s great production of G+A despite his shortcomings) but at least it’s appropriate. But leave him alone off the pitch unless he does beat up some woman. Liking fashion and music are not negative things.
The sad thing is that Leão is certainly not the most mature individual around, and he does suffer with these criticisms. He has just posted to IG that he thinks people are trying to take the smile off his face. That’s sad.
You call yourself a Vero Rossonero and Kaká, a REAL vero rossonero, disagrees with you.
While I lament that Leão is allowing himself to be rattled by the unfair criticism (like yours), actually I don’t really care about personality issues. As far as a Milan forward is concerned, I care for goals and assists, and Rafa does that, regardless of his body language, temper tantrums, and so on. Ever since Puli joined, Rafa has only one G+A fewer than Puli, and I won’t be surprised if by season end he is ahead of Puli again, like he was last season. And hey, I love Puli. I don’t care if Rafa passes Puli in G+A, or if Puli remains ahead of Rafa in G+A. I want BOTH to produce lots of G+A for Milan. I’m mentioning it just to make a point.
In the same period, Rafa has now tied Lautaro Martinez for G+A. Somehow, I don’t see Inter fans screaming at Lautaro and advocating for him to be sold, given that Lautaro this season has had just 1 goal participation (against 3 for Rafa, despite Rafa playing 1.75 game(s) fewer than Lautaro).
See, people now criticize Rafa for being mad at being subbed out and not celebrating Gabbia’s goal. If you go to Reddit’s AC Milan community today, you will see a link there that takes you to a clip of Lionel Messi doing the exact same thing. By the way, Messi is another one who often disappears for 85 minutes of a game, then plays well the other 5 minutes and scores the winning goal. Somehow, fans of the clubs Messi played for did not scream for him to be sold.
Oh, and Rafa did celebrate with his teammates after the final whistle.
Yes, Rafa can’t defend or track back (sometimes he does try but he is bad at it), that’s for sure; who doesn’t know it? Yes, sometimes Rafa seems unmotivated and disinterested (part of it must be his immature response to all the criticism). Still, Rafa has consistently produced the highest or at least the second highest (in one season he was behind Giroud by one) number of goals + assists for Milan at season end, for the last 3 seasons.
Without Rafa’s G + A we wouldn’t have won the Scudetto and wouldn’t have classified for the Champions League in any of those last 3 seasons.
You call yourself a Vero Rossonero: is that what you want? Because, me, I don’t. I appreciate Rafa for his goals + assists even if he doesn’t defend well, doesn’t track back, and disappears for long stretches of a game.
Would it be desirable if Rafa were a more complete player like Pulisic is, and not only produced lots of G+A but also defended well, participated more, appeared hungrier and more committed? Absolutely! But then, if he were like that, he wouldn’t be a Milan player. He would have been snatched long ago by much richer clubs.
Rafa is what he is, and we only count on his G+A because he is not a perfect player otherwise he’d be playing for Manchester City or Real Madrid, and we would be missing his 30 G+A per season.
you need a better hobby man. Keep this up and you’ll write a book on Leao and how much you love him..
P.S i didnt read this, way 2 long and not worth my time
If you didn’t read the comments, you are hardly in a position to judge them. I did read Luigi’s post and found it thoughtful, balanced and wisely focused on Leao’s contribution on the pitch rather than his interests outside football.
I’ve read enough of his mumbling to know it’s a waste of time. He’s beating the same beat again and again and again and it’s boring, subjective af and never spot on. Dude literally thinks people hate on leao because we are racist.
Between me and you I don’t think he knows what racism means
Cry me a river. I can critique Leao just as much as other people can critique the ownership. As if Leao is the only player that we’ll ever find that can contribute 30 G+A assist per season. We found another one whose name starts with a P and ends with a C, who runs all day and helps defend, is focused on football, all for 20M and makes half of what Leao makes.
Leao has to support himself and his own development into a complete player.
Well said Luigi
Luigi, you speak so much BULLSHIII concerning Leao !! He”s not producing, not a great passer, socially his attitude can affect the locker room and, SO SO LAZY !!! HE is the highest paid player and should not have to be babied and cuddled. Act like a professional , Pioli is no longer around to hold your hand. GO CP11 SHOW THEM HOW ITS DONE !