6 hours ago
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The AC Milan leadership are fully behind Massimiliano Allegri when it comes to how he wants to get the best out of Rafael Leao.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall this morning, Leao’s very first coach at Milan was Marco Giampaolo, who gave him his first start in the derby against Inter back in September 2019. He played alongside Piatek, with Suso in the attacking midfielder role.
The spell was too short to assess the chemistry between the coach and the 22-year-old Leao. It was Stefano Pioli, who arrived immediately after, who made him one of his team’s key figures: Rafa was the undisputed star of the Scudetto-winning season, and a driving force in the Champions League semi-final run.
Leao became the No.10 in the 2023-24 season, where, unlike the previous two years, he failed to reach double figures in terms of goals. His support for the team became increasingly intermittent, while his relationships with Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceiçao never blossomed.
Allegri’s arrival
Then, we come to Allegri, the most experienced coach of all, accustomed to managing players with diverse personalities. Max immediately focused on Leao, making public statements extolling his qualities.
Thus, on the day of the Allegri’s presentation, he said: “I believe, indeed I’m convinced, in Leao. He’s reaching maturity, I think he’s more responsible, and we have all the ingredients to do well together.”
To enhance his scoring abilities, Allegri moved him to be part of a front two. In his first competitive start, the Portuguese headed home against Bari, a true centre-forward’s goal. Shortly thereafter, a calf injury and a slow recovery followed.
Rafa returned unnoticed in the final twenty minutes against Napoli, and then the coach granted him half an hour as a substitute at the Allianz Stadium against Juventus. Here, Leao, however, stood out, and that wasn’t a good thing.
He missed two big chances, and beyond the technical errors, his usual flaw resurfaced: a lazy approach. Having perceived Leao to be lacking the right attitude, Allegri made his voice heard in the dressing room after the match.
Max reprimanded him in front of some team-mates in a moment that could be interpreted as a normal coach-player confrontation, or as a turning point. Either Leao does what the coach asks of him, or he will lose his guaranteed starting spot and freedom to be the leader of the attack.
Milan’s reaction
The club fully supports Allegri’s strategy, which is obviously his responsibility to manage the team and the individuals. Leao has always been a special case: an inconsistent talent who has created great successes and equally great regrets.
Milan also believed in Allegri for this reason: only he can guarantee helping Leao reach his potential. It’s Max or no one else, the club believes. Therefore, no matter what tone he uses, Allegri will always have the management’s support.
One tactical question remains, one that transcends all the rest: will removing Rafa from his comfort zone on the flank and moving him into the penalty area truly enhance his abilities?
Can Leao be a clinical striker who bids his time in front of the opponent’s goal, or does he need to free up his runs down the flank? In this regard, too, Max has carte blanche.
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