Rafael Leao of AC Milan

CM: ‘Leao saga remains open’ – how he reacted after being substituted vs. Brugge

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

AC Milan won 3-1 and Rafael Leao’s name did not appear on the scoresheet nor was his performance terrible, yet his name has ended up in the headlines again.

Calciomercato.com write that the ‘Leao saga remains open more than ever’. After being benched for 90 minutes against Udinese in the last league game, the winger started Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Club Brugge but his evening lasted only an hour.

Paulo Fonseca decided to replace him with Noah Okafor a few minutes after a yellow card for kicking the ball away and the introduction of the Swiss player – together with that of Samuel Chukwueze for Ruben Loftus-Cheek – immediately produced the goal that made it 2-1.

Leao had some joy in the first half with a couple of his typical surging runs down the left side, getting his opponent booked and forcing him to come off at half-time, and yet the end product just wasn’t there in the decisive moments so Fonseca opted for fresh legs and ideas.

When Leao left the pitch his face was obviously not the portrait of satisfaction. Returning to the bench, he sat down next to his team-mates with a silent attitude, without speaking to anyone. At the end of the match, Leao immediately went to the dressing room and didn’t celebrate under the Curva.

Then he posted this message on Instagram: “God knows how my heart is pure.” He remains stuck on one goal for the season, and one goal in his last 20 Champions League games, signifying a complicated moment and an inability to consistently perform at a top level.

Tags AC Milan Rafael Leao

36 Comments

  1. Leao has the wrong attitude and his childish behavior is causing problems in the team. He doesn’t play for the team. Rather he plays for himself.

    He has not improved since Milan won the scudetto and I believe it’s time to cash in on selling him.

    Milan look so much better with Okafor, Pulisic and Chukwueze. It’s also clear that RLC is USELESS.

    Liberali deserves more game time as he is the best sub for Pulisic as attacking midfield. I don’t get how he’s not given more chances especially seeing that he had a good preseason.

    Time to say good bye to Leao and RLC. Would love to get Ricci and Gimenez in January as Abraham needs to go back to Roma as soon as possible.

      1. Frustrated and anger I expect from a professional at ones self or performance. But, time and time again he isn’t showing frustration! Seems more arrogance immaturity and sulking or pouting! The team needs to bench him and send him to a team therapist until the attitude and maturity matches! Every player goes through dry spells… needs a break and relief from the pressure. Take it for what it is… a slump and let other teammates step up for alittle while it’s … ok

  2. Knew this was coming.
    Drama sells.
    Imao the media is going a bit 2 hard after leao. Ofc he isn’t doing himself any favours but still. No need to micro analyse his every move..

  3. Why is the media beating someone who is already down.
    The young man isn’t happy or satisfied with his performance and the media and supporters keep beating him hard.
    I think the dude need the media to get off him and allow him gradually pick himself up

    1. All he needs to do is be quiet and work hard and he will win everyone over again. But he wants to play on emotions in hopes to gain sympathy rather than change his attitude. I’m sorry byt it’s all down to himself.

  4. Leao would only get back to himself and even much better if he decided to focus fully on football by not adding his musical life, by now he should be competing with the likes of Nbape and Vini Jr, I always proud of him, but he is falling my hands this days

  5. Leao, appearing reluctant after being subbed off, walked slowly around the field. Meanwhile, the newly substituted Okafor provided an assist to Reijnders for a goal, with Rafa positioned close to the action. However, Rafa did not congratulate his teammates. Emerson approached Rafa but was ignored

  6. It’s enough of this spoiled,stupid boy.
    Wrong attitude, lazy, he thinks that he deserves everything.
    With this attitude he will not succed in any league
    Yesterday he insulted the fans by not greeting them at the end of the game.
    It’s time to get rid of him, to
    let him make rapp music and work in fashion industry, these will suit him better.
    Did anyone noticed the helpless face of our Mister during the first half? For me it was sad, very sad 😭 😭

    1. For the hour he was on the pitch Leao was Milan’s best player. He was full of energy, skill and enterprise. It is not his fault that his teammates failed to capitalise on the chances he created. The TV commentators expressed their astonishment that he was substituted, so I am certainly not alone in my opinion. Okafor did well when he came on it’s true, but he is not in the same class as Leao. I think it shameful that fans (on this platform anyway) are attacking him in this way. Along with Theo he has been the outstanding performer for Milan since he arrived at the club.

    2. I’m glad at last someone agrees with me I said at the start of the season sell him and get the money he’s to bloody lazy sorry time to go.

  7. Just leave the guy on bench for a few matches,let’s say 5 matches. Make him want to play again and you will unlock the beast again. Keeping him on bench 1 match and then sending him as starter two days later just so he can show us his childish attitude and how displeased he is, is just foolish.

    1. This. Make him want to prove himself, and at the same time prove to the rest of the squad and the public that life can go on without Leao. Then, if he decided he wants to make the effort to be part of the group, it’s a win/win, if he doesn’t bye bye in 2025.

  8. Enough, he’s done. I’ve been watching Milan since 2006 and I don’t recall seeing someone turn heel like this. The biggest controversy I can recall was the ibra/pato one. His game is an illusion, it looks nice at a glance but look he made one cut inside and it was almost a goal but it was chaotic with little control and he cant replicate it. He symbolizes hope not certainty. Fonseca seems to value certainty unlike pioli who maybe valued hope bc he’d leave leao out there for the full 90 every time in hopes that leao would pull something off.

    1. I’ve been a fan since 1991 and I also can’t really recall such a difficult player. Maybe Savicevic. But Dejan was on another level at least.

  9. I think he needs to start on the bench for now as the team looks much better recently without him and he’s lacking in confidence. I think the best way to get his confidence back is to let him come in at the 60th or 70th minute of games when the other teams D is tired and let him run at them.

  10. First of all we need to stop looking at Leao as a goal scorer. Leao has shown time and time again that he loves to create chances and pass the ball into dangerous areas. The problem is that most of the team do not capitalize on these created chances. I dare anyone to review the game footages all season.

    As for his abilities there is no doubt he can perform but Fonseca’s system doesn’t allow for this. Fonseca’s system only allows for Leao to receive the ball into dangerous areas the last third of the pitch which hinders Leao’s chances as his game is to run at players on the left side. If Leao is allowed to receive the ball earlier in the 2nd third of the field. Theo has developed a very bad habit of passing to Leao too deep and it kills the current play.

    In my opinion it is up to coach Fonseca to get the best out of Leao and he has been failing to do so thus far.

  11. Rafa is going through a cycle. You can tell by his body language. Even when getting subbed out he looks so awkward, like he doesn’t know how to react. “Do I cheer? Do I sulk? Do I run away into the locker room?” It’s odd. He clearly doesn’t take criticism well.

  12. I’m sick and tired of the Leão hatred. This young man obviously is not very mature and he deals very poorly with criticism. It affects his game given all the negativity, so the haters get a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more they hate on him, the worse he plays, further (apparently) justifying their hatred.

    Fonseca doesn’t seem to know how to handle him and the chiasm between Fonseca and Leão is just getting bigger.

    Leão is obviously not in a good place, mentally. Gone is the sheer joy he experienced with his big smile, when he was the undisputed league MVP (actually even voted as such by the league) and was extremely instrumental in winning the Scudetto for us.

    All of you haters and Fonseca too, are ruining Leão, by expecting of him something he is not, and crucifying and scapegoating him when he predictably can’t meet your high expectations. You want a perfect winger who can also track back and defend and has a huge work rate, a la Vini Jr, and Leão is not that. He is no Vini Jr and will never be. Still, he can contribute with many goals and assists when he is accepted for who he is, both with strengths and shortcomings. If he had no shortcomings he’d be playing for Real Madrid or Manchester City, not for Milan which is a club of medium income that can’t afford a Vini Jr-like player.

    Leão is a free spirit who plays his own way, and when he’s allowed to do that (which includes not defending because he’s not good at it at all – even when he tries – and will never be), he is effective. The way he’s been pulled in all directions, he is not effective and then the criticism piles up even more. See, the more Leão has tried to comply with Fonseca’s demands and has tried to track back more, the least offensively effective he became.

    Leão doesn’t fit Fonseca’s idea of a team that attacks together but also defends together. He will not thrive under his system because he is not a player for that system.

    Hiring Fonseca was the end of Leão. He is a casualty of the decision to name Fonseca our head coach, and it’s probably too late to rescue Leão.

    The only way out for Leão in this ever-worsening crisis, is to ask to leave Milan, which I’m getting almost 100% sure that will happen. You can see it on Leão’s face and body language: he is frustrated and upset, and he’s on his way out.

    Then, mark my words: we will be worse off without him. Don’t be fooled by the team playing better with Okafor after 60 minutes when Okafor came in with fresh legs against tired defenders, when Leão was doing just fine (7 won duels, 3 created opportunities, 10 successful dribbles, all of which were the top for the entire team during those 60 minutes). Okafor is not better than Leão. That’s an illusion. Okafor is a super sub but not a starter. Do remember how poorly Okafor always does when he starts and faces defenders with fresh legs. Okafor is only dynamic when the defenders are more tired than he is; Leão on the other hand continues to beat defenders with his bursts of speed, regardless of at what point we are in the game.

    Not to forget the opponents’ need to double or even triple mark Leão. Pulisic said it best: “I can do a lot because Rafa opens spaces for me.”

    Leão will leave or be sold, and our cheap management won’t hire someone who can add about 30 goal participations per season. We WILL be worse off without him. Then, maybe he will shine in his next endeavor, if he goes to a club and a coach that will again allow Leão to be Leão, like it was the case with Pioli.

    I may just stop posting stuff like this; I’m tired of insisting with the obvious and being attacked by the Leão haters here. Some people here do understand it (like ACM1899), and also some people like Kaka, Pulisic, and Capello – the latter said to Sky “We shouldn’t think of Leão as a leader but as an uncommon player. You have to accept this.”

    Instead, Leão is no longer being accepted by the coach and the fans, and that’s the end of Leão’s Milan journey. I regret it a lot, but hey, you guys will harvest what you are sowing, that is, a worse Milan without Leão.

    Period, full stop. I’m done. I won’t be addressing the issue of Rafael Leão any longer. Maybe I’ll just copy and paste this post to a Word file and repost it if someone berates me for some Leão-related matter. You guys go just ahead and keep hating him. Don’t complain later though, once our management gets some lousy cheap left winger to replace him and our total of goals and assists per season drops. You’ll deserve the Milan you’ll get.

    1. Again with the 3 page essay on “how amazing I think Leao is”. No one has the energy or interest to read them.

      Wow. My eyes just caught something wonderful though!!!
      “Period, full stop. I’m done. ”

      I hope you’ll be a man and act like you said. So something good came out of this article. I’m happy. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

  13. Leao was great v Brugge. Everything worked out well.
    He’ll be great against Bologna. He just needs to make goals happen in the 1st half.

  14. The storm that has been stirred up in a tea cup is because Leao had been given special status on account of his “talent”. But the talent is basically his physical prowess: speed. Tactical intelligence, positional awareness and end product are other metrics he is being judged with now. While we won the scudetto utilizing his skills, the next year he was found out. This year he has not adapted to the new reality, his coach wants him to do more defensively.
    He made good runs that produced no results, his mates are being blamed for not scoring and being in the right place. However, Okafor makes an identical run and places the ball where it’s hard to miss. Leao fans should go and analyse his crosses and passes. One time he dribbled past 3 players on a spectacular run and passed the ball 2m behind his teammate: momentum ruined. That’s the theme of his runs: decision making is poor.
    If Tijjani was criticised for poor technique when shooting and has shown some improvement, musah is criticised for excessive dribbling and the timing of his dribbles, saelemakers was critiziced for doing nothing but running, why on God’s good earth is Leao exempt from being criticized at 25yrs of age, collecting the highest wages and scoring 1 goal in 20 UCL matches? Why is he sulking, refusing to celebrate with his team mates, going to the dressing room early and pouting lips after being subbed?
    If he seeks a transfer, let him leave. Maybe at Madrid Carlo will allow him.to.stroll on the field, lose his marker and concede a goal, or maybe pep will ask him to stay forward and allow the whole team work their asses off to give him that one pass that will bring in the 100% guaranteed goal? Or maybe Tuchel, or Mou or Conte or Fergie will tolerate such errant nonsense? Why do we normalize mediocrity: Fonseca accepts he was not getting the end result and subbed him. What he spent 60mins and couldn’t do, okafor did in a split second. Football is not about the 100 dribbles and 85% dribbling accuracy. The end product of all dribbles is create the OPPORTUNITY TO SCORE. sure it could be fun to watch but was a goal scored?
    We waited 3years plus for him to blossom, giving the excuse he was weeny little lad, then he exploded, won MVP and slid back into the inconsistency he is now famous for. Should others not be allowed to play while he regains his form? Can we not argue also that on the basis of Okafor’s electrifying performance as a sub, he be made a starter for the next fews. And should okafor play badly as a starter, we should remember that one night against brugge and keep him on the field for 90mins? Someone posted above that Pioli kept hoping that Leao would produce, Fonseca removed him and got results. He may have gambled in Okafor, he was booed for making the sub BUT the crowd was silenced by the goal. It shows everyone loves the dribble but they prefer the goals. Instead of the guy to subdue his ego and go jump on the guys celebrating, pump fists into the air, celebrate his teammate, smile more, he slithered and sulked away.
    Let’s see our next games, if the Fonseca experiment will yield more fruits. Sooner or later , players who had watched him receive special treatment will step up to the plate when given the chance and provide proper competition to his lazy performances. It will be up to him to shape up or ship out.

  15. I’ve had enough with this guy and hopefully some doofus from EPL or PSG can get him away from MIlan and all of you his simps can also go with him to wherever he goes, observed more of his attitude and performances and you dont even have to be a genius to see that Leao is arrogant,childish and overrating himself like he is already at Vini,Haaland level etc, saying Serie A is easy for him, saying he can be at CR7 level lmao what a joke dude.

  16. Leao is a child. Dribbling is not Calcio.
    I wish people would stop excusing his poor play because he is an extraordinary dribbler. He does not track back, he does not attack his post when the ball is on the right, he does not score goals. He occasionally assists. When he is unhappy, he decides to pass right back to the defense as soon as he gets the ball.

    He acts more important than the team and sets a bad example for all the other players. When he does not get his way, he acts like an ass. I for one am tired of his nonsense. I wish we would have sold him before the world saw this because his value is dropping every day.

    He embarrasses himself more and more every day. How can someone whose every step is recorded on video have such poor self-awareness? He will never get it.

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