Rafael Leao spent the entirety of the game against Monza on the bench, and it is not unlikely that it was his final match for AC Milan.
As Calciomercato.com write, Leao could not have imagined a worse end to the season. He sat in the dugout, waiting for a call from Sergio Conceicao’s assistant Joao Costa that never came, as the fans protested in a toxic environment.
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He started several games in the second half of the season from the bench, and the fact he was an unused substitute last night is an unmistakable sign of how the relationship with Conceiçao has been rather cold.
Despite the initial proclamations with an endorsement, it ended with ‘a sort of betrayal’ by the former Porto coach. Given the climate of uncertainty, the Rossoneri fans fear that the time has come to say goodbye to the one who can be considered the best player in the squad.
What Leao’s future holds
Speaking to DAZN before the game, the CEO Giorgio Furlani reiterated that the club do not need to sacrifice anyone on the market for budgetary reasons. The obvious idea would also be to build next season’s team around Leao, given he has a €175m clause and three years on his deal.
The Portuguese winger is not unsellable, but he is certainly still in the plans unlike his friend Theo Hernandez. Furthermore, RedBird Capital elected him as the symbol and frontman of Milan in the summer of 2023 when they renewed him until 2028, giving him €7m net per year including bonuses.
The shadow of Jorge Mendes is always present. The Portuguese super agent is in close contact with his father Antonio to try get a move for Leao in the summer, as per the report, and 10 days ago he spoke with the new Arsenal director Andrea Berta.
At present the Gunners consider Leao one of the alternatives and not the main objective for the left lane but things can change. Bayern Munich have been mentioned in recent days, while Saudi Arabia and Chelsea should be taken into consideration.
Milan will try to keep Leao but it will not be easy, especially with how he must feel after having watched the entirety of the Monza game from the sidelines.
Another “masterful” article by Calciomercato.
So Leao was benched because of his poor relationship with Conceição or because he was betrayed by Conceição? It had nothing to do because in most games he was the worst player on the pitch on top of being himself, lazy?
2 different coaches this season, both of them Portuguese, Leao’s countrymen, and Leao had poor relationships and was betrayed by both? Oh, poor Leao!
On top of that, Isn’t Leao’s super agent Mendes also the agent of Conceição? I guess, even he couldn’t smooth the relationship and stop the betrayal.
If Milan hired Conte last summer, getting rid of Leao would have been Conte’s first order of business.
“RedBird Capital elected him as the symbol and frontman of Milan in the summer of 2023”.
RedBird and Elliot have made many mistakes as owners of Milan, but building a team around Leao and making him the symbol of Milan is by far the worst mistake.
I overlooked this article yesterday because I thought it’ll most likely contain a lot of bollocks (like a lot of other articles published on this site but culled from Italian papers).
It’s been a slow news day so I decided to open it and I saw that I wasn’t wrong.
Some peeps are always reminding us on here how RedBird “dismantled a scudetto winning team” which is fair enough but the remaining “superstars” dismantled themselves. Leao Theo Maignan and Tomori have all performed way below expectations – although I guess a case could be made that Leao’s “numbers” are still good. Whatever happens I’m okay with him staying or going – but if it were up to me I’d build the team around Reijnders and Pulisic, make some targeted signings around the defence and defensive midfielder positions and the coach (((Conte))) while keeping an eye on bringing in the youngsters like Camarda Liberali Zeroli etc
Exactly. The young players seemed lively when wthey were played.
It’s almost like it’s more complicated than that.
Remove half a successful sales team and see how you go.
The manager, formation and style of play has to be decided first.
If we gonna play two inside forwards in 3421 then it better to sell Leao & probably Theo instead of reijnders.
Get a young gem at AM (and or use Liberali) along with Ricci and a solid destroyer DM/CM that is a kessie/vidal/niangollan type.
Musah, RLC, emerson, terraciano, out = Ricci in.
Midfield next year ; Reijnders, Ricci, new destroyer-baller, Adli, fofana.
Sell Okafor or train him at gunpoint.
If Leao leaves, Pulisic and Tijjani won’t score or produce half as much. Teams have given a lot of attention to Theo and Leao to open up space 8b the middle and right side.
Leao is too lazy.. Milan is like playing 10.5 man with Leao on the pitch
Nah, that will be the midfield that does not exist.
You are spot on, Pulisic is nothing special, Milan is most likely to win matches with Leao than Reinjders or Pulisic even both combined
Always the same excuse for Leao while bashing others. Yeah, everyone is scared of Leao and marks him with 3-4 players. LOL. Others shine only because Leao is on the pitch. 😀 😀 😀
You will see lazy Theo next year at Juve with Conte. Leao, say watherver, but its funny to see Felix play all games, no wonder he will consider his option. What is left is a false hipe for players like TJ.
Many here are just trolling, writers that are interistas or juvesheat de a crime more caos.. deals already done.. Milan loosing all players…..just destabilize, just pass off fans…
Lighten up guys, theo leao are Milanistas. They have their personalities, but clearly they need a better coach, whole team does…some o n e just screaming at them is just the wrose mistaken way to reach the mindset of a player….
Wait
Its
Hm eight
Great
Mate
River plate seasin mate
Leao this season had 28 goal contributions, this season 23 (granted a lower per 90 this season by 0.1) Only 5 less in a dismal season where there was such turmoil. And we’re here hanging him out to dry. Ok.
And he played many fewer minutes. That’s why his production was slightly lower this season. Still, many goals and assists; he is definitely not Milan’s problem like silly Z thinks.
Ridiculous posters like this Z like to call Rafa lazy, disregarding that the whole team was poorly built and unmotivated. See, Conceiçao benched Rafa repeatedly while playing the horrible Felix who scored 3 goals. Rafa with fewer minutes produced much more.
When Rafa was happy with Pioli and Paolo Maldini, he was a Scudetto winner and League MVP. Under this horrible management and horrible coaches he wasn’t doing as well like the whole team.
Give Rafa a good coach and build a team properly and he will shine again; either hopefully still with us, or elsewhere.
Z and K are two posters I just completely ignore on this forum. I just skip past by their drivel but I could well imagine what either would say.
We just had a poor season and Leao still puts up some decent numbers despite all the drama around the club, granted not great numbers but we can’t afford Vini. Leao’s still creating tons of chances for his teammates moreso than mostly anyone else in the team. Our wingers ain’t the problem. As I said before people will miss him when he’s gone. What people don’t realize is that 1. it’s not easy to just beat your man with shear pace anymore in the modern game and 2. he creates LOADS of opportunities as well as pulls the defence to his side. What we need is to have a plan to take advantage of said things. People are just unappreciative and most likely don’t know what they’re seeing
Numbers don’t lie, Leao played fewer matches and minutes, yet he pose such numbers, it’s no surprise the fans that turn up at San siro wants good football and wining, which is only guaranteed by Leao and no one else, take Leao out, and see how the so called hardworking team mate transform to ordinary
jedina istina – Leao je najopasniji igrać Milana i TOČKA
I WISH LEAO LEAVES THE MOST USELESS PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN PLAYING FOOTBALL, WITH THE TALENT LEAO HAS BUT LEAO DOESN’T COMPETE FOR ANYTHING JUST TO ENTER THE PITCH AND PLAY THAT’S ALL FOR HIM. WHAT A USELESS PLAYER RAFAEL LEAO.
It’s toooo lateeeeee
Sure why not.
And whilst they’re at it just change the name of the club.
Yea, change it to Como.
Fitting, as it also doesn’t have an Italian soul to it too right?
Wouldn’t you be better off putting your energy into defending the players from the numerous ‘fans’ on here who are insulting them?
Bih STFU. Wouldn’t you better off PUTTING your energy into Como since you have self proclaimed not a fan of Milan’s? Speaking of “fans”, stop coming round here. Leave Milan fans to be Milan fans. True fans don’t celebrate when their team loses or with their team to lose. You’re just a bum, fairweather fake fan.
Bullsh*t, there are way more useless players in serie a than leao. Stop hating, milan as a whole was useless this season including leao. But the team was poorly coached and manage, these affects the people even in everyday jobs. You can see the player were confused and unhappy, but i still think we should have done better.
Milanova obrana je ove godine UŽASNA – pAVLOVIĆ tOMORI gABIJA cALABRIJA eMERSON I cHAO A BOGAMI I GOSPODIN tEO hERNANDES !!!!!!!!! Svi su totalna NULA i zbog toga su tu gdje jesu !! Sredina i napad imaju prolaz
I love leao but he will never be a high intensity player. He will never play hard and play gritty. Think of Ronaldo,Mohammed Salah, or lautaro Martinez, for example. Leao will never play anywhere near their intensity.
He needs to be sold and the right type of players brought in. It will be sad to see him go but whatever it takes to win.
Despite not having Lautaro’s intensity, Rafa’s seasonal number of goals and assists is very similar to Lautaro’s.
Leao doesn’t shows up in important nig match. What’s the point to score many goals but big matches he is ineffective. Just look at the recent cup final… he is lost at sea. Couldn’t rise to the occasion
The whole team was bad. It’s a poorly built team with a mediocre head coach. Italiano saw the previous defeat to Milan and corrected the errors. Conceição tried the exact same setup and was outcoached. Everybody is to blame; no need to single out Rafa.
So everyone does poorly and you blame Rafa. Typical.
When we had a decent coach (Pioli) and a true sporting director (Paolo Maldini) and a well-built and motivated team, Rafa was a champion, very instrumental in the victorious Scudetto campaign, and was officially elected the League MVP. We wouldn’t have won the Scudetto without him.
People have short memories and love to attack a scapegoat.
Did you know that Rafa is one of only 4 players since the club’s foundation in 1899 with simultaneous high numbers of goals and assists (above 50)? The others are Kaka, Seedorf, and I forgot who is the other one but remember it’s also a club legend.
And that’s the player you love to scapegoat.
Some fans here are shortsighted and no different to Redbird, if we sell Leao, who do we replace him with Vini? That’s the only name on Leaos level. With a good coach, Leao is still the engine room of this Milan
Geez it’s only one last match which doesn’t matter anyway.
Leao can sit that one out no problem.
People eager to see Leao go as if it’s gonna be easy to replace him.
I love CP and TR, their numbers are great this season but you can’t just put Leao’s number aside.
He’s still one of the best left winger in the world right now, something you can’t replace easily / cheaply.
Ask yourself, is the current version of Leao better or worse than the one that was crucial to winning the scudetto? The answer seems pretty obvious
I think you let him go at a good price. He is a gifted player, but not a leader. The way he has fried two coaches this season will make people wary. He clashed with Fonseca and Fonseca is gone. He clashed with Conceicao and he appears gone as well. Pioli treated him with kid gloves and played a system that suited him well. Coaches since then have tried other systems that do not work with Leao.