Rafael Leao openly questioned Stefano Pioli’s decision to bring him off during AC Milan’s 2-2 draw against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona last night.
Leao was withdrawn alongside Olivier Giroud – who had scored a brace – and both were visibly unhappy at being brought off as photos showed. Now, a video has surfaced showing Leao walking around the field rather intently towards Pioli to ask why he was brought off.
Yacine Adli tried to intercept him on the way and calm him down but was pushed aside, while Tommaso Pobega and Alessandro Florenzi also tried to have a word with the Portuguese winger before he eventually got to the coach and spoke briefly with him.
👀 Leao questioning Pioli’s decision to take him off. Adli and Florenzi didn’t manage to calm him down.
— SempreMilan (@SempreMilanCom) October 30, 2023
Leao you played like crap for 80 minutes and Pioli was right to took you off from the field.
he had a fair game, though not his best, may be other players should have try to convert his crosses too. its a 90minutes game, he could still make the difference.
Fair game? LOL, sure, if you’re Honda or Saelemaekers.
“may be other players should have try to convert his crosses too”
Kind of hard when the crosses all end up meters away from them.
Yes, sure, removing the fastest winger in 80th minute when the opposing team is allowing so much space to replace him with slow Okafor makes sense. I don’t know how some of you don’t get some footballing basics, but those are the basics. If he took Leao out at half time – ok. At this point when space was being left behind Napoli defence – stupid. Same with Jovic for Giroud, the most useless sub ever. Pioli is beginning to make more and more ridiculous changes as he really seems to be losing the plot and he doesn’t know what exactly to do.
Sure he’s not quicker than Leao but he wasn’t performing and opposition was tired. That sub was correct. Jovic for Giroud on the other hand was a miss.
Not really, like I’ve said, if he removed Leao on half time it would be a different story since Napoli was sort of defending. But removing him when they are leaving spaces behind is a huge mistake. If you don’t get it you never will.
There was space in behind, but Leao had not done anything with it to that point, so a change seemed reasonable. Plus, Leao seemed casual with his effort and had questionable decision making; trying to chip the keeper and sending it into the stands instead of laying it off for a wide open Romero was the epitome of it. It might actually be a good thing if Leao realizes he isn’t entitled to 90 minutes every game if he is not playing well. He’s obviously our best player, so if this inspires him to start playing like it, it will have been a good decision.
Yes they left space but Leao did not exploit it. Whole night he was not there. Pulisic for example had a lot better game in opposite side. He was right to sub Leao and he deserves to be benched for the next game. He needs a reality check cause his attitude stinks.
Ok, sure. I won’t argue with clowns. I have explained to you why he shouldn’t have been replaced in 80th minute and with Okafor. What Okafor did proves me right, he did nothing with all that space there. 0 chances created.
And why do you reply to me like I’m saying he shouldn’t have been replaced, clowns? He SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT HALF TIME. But 10 minutes before the end, when there is space, no, he should have been kept on if he was on until 80th minute.
Klovn ti je u gačama
“Ok, sure. I won’t argue with clowns.”
Says the only clown here. 😀 😀 😀
So there was no space behind Napoli defence at half time when we were 2-0 up, but they suddenly opened it up after they drew the game? wtf
If you watched the game you would know that in the 1st half Napoli was quite defensive. I don’t think you really saw the game if you wrote what you wrote. Of course there was space, there is always some space, but Napoli played very differently in 2nd and after they scored the 2nd goal they started going forward a bit recklessly, leaving huge empty spaces behind. Okafor did nothing with all that, useless. Leao is one of the top players on the planet for exactly that, not defending, being tactically reponsible etc. You don’t remove him when the conditions are best for him to perform.
Yes yes, I disagree so obviously I “dont know football” and/or “didnt watch the game” 😆
Classic
Yes, classic reply of an id**t. When you don’t have real counter arguments you just write nothing and try to ridicule me. Good job, but not going to work.
“When you don’t have real counter arguments you just write nothing and try to ridicule me.”
LOL. Tkoje, no one here needs to try to ridicule you. You do all that work for us. 😀 😀 😀
You say the fastest winger on the pitch but also the laziest on several occasions he could have pressed or got got back to defend but didn’t want to even though at times he was just feet away …..on his day unplayable but of late he has become way to predictable almost a one trick pony fancy flicks don’t get you goals just a tic tock meme
He needs to try harder and not just think he is the greatest player …too which he could become
Just a simple reminder of facts: Okafor isn’t slow.
I agree..Leao was crap all game, been crap the last couple of games…I wonder what happened to all the “money ball” guys cheering the chinese style transfer window with all the rave of new signings. Will if we have quality new guys then at least give them the chance. Giroud was the sub i questioned.
Ok so basically…. Football happened 😂
Florenzi really calmed him down eh
When he asked why I would have simply said, ‘because everyone is right, you’ve turned into a lazy bum’.
Swap with khvicha or cash in for 100m. We have CP11, but not Chris Paul 😀
Leao wasted so many opportunities in this game. It should be a comfortable win. I understand the desire of some fans to keep him, as he can turn a game around at any moment, but in this game he had 80+ minutes to prove it and he failed over and over. I don’t see how 10 more minutes would have made a difference for him. We were shit and coach had to make changes and Okafor is one of our better subs.
Leao needs to take a step back and reconsider his positin in this team. He is turning into a ball hog and it’s hurting the team big time. He is our best player hands down, but he can not win games by himself. Pass the ball, move aroud, pick your moments.
I don’t want to criticize his anger after the sub. I actually appreciate the fire and the desire to turn around his bad performance, but his reaction was missdirected and immature.
Leao is one of top football entertainers on the planet currently. He’s not 20 year old kid anymore. And he wears that no10 on his back. He’s coming into his prime so he needs to get his sh*t together fast.
Wow. How mature. If he REALLY cannot understand why he was subbed off then his career is already over. There’s no hope left.
If i was pioli i’d bench him vs udine.. “rest” for P$$$G game. Then bench him for lecce
The coach is the boss.
If a player doesn’t appear to be doing what the boss wants, it’s the coach’s call to axe him.
However, if you axe you top player and the results don’t go your way, you’re doomed.
That said, the buck stops with Pioli. I think he goofed as usual. He’s trying to show he is in control and it happened at a bad time.
Psychologically, I expect a disappointed Leaõ to work some magic. You never rule out such talent in games like yesterday, when you don’t have an equally mercurial talent to replace him.
This is not a disrespect to Okafor, but he could have come on for Pulisic instead of Romero. What Pioli would have done is get Leaõ and Okafor to interchange. The right side produced the assists for the goals. Romero was the wrong option.
Also, Florenzi could have come in at RW.
Another culprit who should have been hooked was Mr. Passing Accuracy who can shoot. Jeez! Pobega should have come on for him. At least, he can shoot accurately.
By the way, in spite of all his passing accuracy, Reinjders hasn’t recorded an assist – I think.
It seems Pioli may be axed before December, if not just results go bad, but the dressing room issues are not resolved. This is not a case of bringing Ibra.
I think Milan has enough talent to do very well. Pioli has done well, but he has a history of undoing his own good works. Maybe it’s fear. For the first time, he won something, because Milan and Maldini stuck with him.
I don’t know if it’s he’s still the man for Milan.
“Reinjders hasn’t recorded an assist – I think. ”
First goal of the season was scored by Giroud from a nice lateral pass from Reijnders. But that’s it. He has had 3-4 sitters already but simply cannot hit the target even from 3 meters out. Pobega would already have 3-4 goals if he got as much playing time as Reijnders.
I have no problems with this sub to be honest. It’s the Giroud sub that perplexed me.
Romero on for Puli was a sharp drop off in quality. At that rate I woul dhave brought Adli in for Puli, or even Okafor, even though that’s not his preferred side.
Overall, Pioli’s in-game management failed us.
Nobody should defend leao.
His liability is more frightening for us than his decisiveness, it seems like he is heading back to year zero
At age 24, it is a shame for him to always put his ego upfront more to what value he can give to the team
Pioli knows leao’s strength is on his speed yet he still ask him to build the attack. Leao is not a good ball carrier, not a good passer or crosser, he should just outrun his marker with a through pass from our midfield. He can’t resist to dribble everybody, he just can’t.
Just stick to opponent’s last defender, wait for the through ball, run, shoot, score, REPEAT.
Know yourself better not your luck
Pioli seems to have lost it in terms of decisions and subs ,coming to draw a match after having a 2 goal lead is disastrous,moreso our defense is not working properly, poor ball control and can’t mark with precision leaving too much space for opponents to thrive
Leao should rewatch his own games sometimes. The fact that he could have EASILY sent Romero 1vs1 with the goalkeeper and decided not do so says a lot.
The problem is that he knows that he is the best player and cannot be replaced, and the salary+number 10+no leaders made his head even bigger.
But he needs to be put in his place. Pioli should confront him and tell him the truth.
Leao isn’t developing under Pioli. If he went to city, the wmd result with Pep coaching him would be frightening, I get the impression Leao is a bit lost and wandering at the moment. The talent is there intermittently, but he won’t achieve his potential under Pioli. It’s what Leao can do for Pioli, not what can Pioli do for Leao.
We need a a proper coach, one who not only has tactical flexibility, but one who can develop talent as well.
Leao in City? He wouldn’t get any minutes with his attitude. And his frustration would increase drastically. His career would be over even quicker than it now seems…
That’s the point mate. Grealish was the same, all talent (sporadically) no work rate or discipline, Pep has turned him into a fantastic player. Last season in a game (can’t remember who against) he ran beck from LW to RB 70 yards to get the ball back. Pep evolves and develops players. I think City will come in for Leao, and then he will take off and become one of the best of his generation. Pioli just tells him to go out and do his thing, which is at themoment sometimes magnificent, sometimes poor, sometimes lazy…
Leao needs a coach who can develop him to the next stage. Pep did it with Sterling too, also Kyle Walker who is now playing better than ever. He was a physical beast at Spurs, fast and strong, he is now the best RB in the world and seems to be getting better. His display against United this week was fantastic.
The coach i think we need to get back is Carlo. I know he is meant to be going to Brazil, but we need his experienced head. We can’t get a Pep or Klopp, i would take experience over someone like De Zerbi right now.