Capello shares concerns regarding Leao: “He gets lost during the game”

Fabio Capello has given his take on the early-season struggles that Rafael Leao is enduring, admitting the forward seems ‘lost’.

There has been a lot written and said about Leao since Massimiliano Allegri’s arrival, given that the coach has publicly declared his admiration for him but also his desire to help him finally reach a consistently elite level.

The noise has only dialled up since the game against Juventus on Sunday. Leao missed two good chances to win the game off the bench and Allegri apparently berated him in the dressing room after the full-time whistle, making it clear he expects more.

Capello was present in Trento at the 2025 Festival dello Sport and he gave an interview to TMW (via Calciomercato.com) in which he offered his thoughts on Leao’s more difficult moment.

Leao is being spoken about a lot…

“He has great skills, but he gets lost during the game. He’s not always in the game, especially in the defensive phase. He’s found a coach who seems to have his nails down on him. Let’s hope he doesn’t hurt him, but manages to wake him up.”

Who is in the Scudetto race?

“From Napoli’s total competitiveness, Inter’s return as a team, their confidence in the coach, and Milan, who with two ‘seniors’ like Modric and Rabiot are doing something interesting: making young players understand that with quality and determination, you can go far.”