CorSera: Milan had concerns about ‘distracted’ Leao before Lazio outburst – the background

The AC Milan staff had concerns about Rafael Leao’s attitude even before the game against Lazio, a report has claimed.

Leao is once again in the headlines, but this time not for the right reasons. The angry reaction he demonstrated when he was taken off during the defeat to Lazio was not well received, even if his frustration at not being given much service may well have been justified.

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Pre-Lazio concerns

Corriere della Sera (via Calciomercato.com) describe Milan and Leao’s relationship as ‘a long love story that’s now experiencing a downturn’. What happened at the Olimpico – when the player refused to accept the substitution and shoved Massimiliano Allegri – has caused some concern.

From a disciplinary standpoint, it is believed that Milan will not take much action because the player shouldn’t be fined. From a morale standpoint, Allegri now has quite a difficult situation to manage, especially because he already had his worries.

The paper claims that in recent weeks the belief is that Leao hasn’t seemed all that focused on his football, as evidenced by a few different signs. In fact, the paper goes into a bit more detail on the matter.

They state: “In the last few weeks, in the last few days, even on the eve of the match in Rome, they say that Rafa wasn’t 100% focused. He skipped breakfast a few times, was too distracted.”

His performance at the Olimpico against Lazio was not great, as was his exaggerated reaction when he was substituted. Nobody liked the Portuguese’s attitude, not the management nor his team-mates, and there is already talk of his renewal being put on hold.

Allegri – who had to intervene in the dressing room following Leao’s outburst against Pulisic – continued to try to defuse the situation even after the match had ended, but the former Lille player’s behaviour didn’t go down well.