Juraj Kucka has clarified comments that he made a while ago about Rafael Leao, based on a game that he saw first-hand.
Kucka did four years with Genoa before moving to Milan in 2015 a fee widely reported to be in the region of €3m plus bonuses. He ended up becoming a fan favourite at the San Siro and stayed for a couple of seasons before heading to Trabzonspor, then moving on to Watford.
Around one year ago, Kucka was sent up to do a press conference for Slovan Bratislava on the eve of their Champions League home match against Milan, which the Rossoneri ended up winning 3-2 away from home.
Kucka was asked for his perceptions of Leao, responding: “When I was at Parma I thought Leao wouldn’t go far, I said so, and instead something has changed in himself and now he’s become a great player. I saw him walking on the pitch, he didn’t seem to want to play.”
A clarification arrives
Kucka spoke to MilanVibes and he was asked about the comment he made on Leao, with his response relayed by MilanNews.
I read an old interview of yours where you talked about Leao and you saw him and he was ‘walking’…
“I went to see a match when I was in Parma and he was ‘walking’, but it wasn’t just me who said it, my friends who were with me also said it.”
So you didn’t expect it to explode?
“No, I’m not saying I didn’t expect it, but I didn’t like it that time. Then he showed all his talent over time… and thank goodness!”
He’s not wrong. He can be a beast if he runs more on and off the ball. Look at Pulisic compared to him.
Don’t get me wrong. Leao is a great player but he can be legendary with the right mindset and commitment.
I much prefer Leao to pick his moments of explosion. I don’t need him to be pressing at full pace every time but I would like to see more involvement in the phases where we have to soak up pressure.
You can tell when he is in the he mood, but he can’t do this for 90 mins we have to consider injuries etc.
When we’re losing (or drawing bottom-table teams) we need EVERYONE to give their all. When you’re losing to relegation teams it’s not the time to “save evergy” or “not be in the mood”. Team comes first. Always.