3 weeks ago
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Rafael Leao is one of the most influential players at AC Milan, and the winger, this evening, has spoken about the Derby della Madonnina and the season so far.
It is difficult to be the star sometimes, and Leao has had to deal with this for a few years. On the face of it, most would dream of being the guy. However, it has not always been plain sailing for the Portuguese, even when others have taken that mantle.
Last season, the winger got 16 contributions in Serie A, split evenly between goals and assists. However, some deemed it to be not enough. That is pressure beyond being a leader; that is pressure for a world-class talent.
Leao’s role and more
Under Massimiliano Allegri, some doubts have been present previously. However, the winger is now looking fantastic, scoring four goals already this season. Today, he spoke about the new coach’s impact and several other topics to CBS Sports, via MilanNews.
On the Derby…
“All the players are ready for the match. We want to prepare well for this game. It’s the Derby, and Inter are a great group; they’ve put together a good team. For us, it’s also an opportunity to move up to the top of the table, and you can already feel the atmosphere this weekend.”
On the new season…
“Last year was difficult; this year we’ve brought in a lot of new players, but the club, the structure, everyone has done a great job.
“They brought in a great director who works very well, they kept Ibra, they brought in Allegri, who has a lot of experience, they brought in Luka Modric, and I think these pieces are important for us, for the younger players.
“As you can see, our team has a lot of young players and experienced players who can help us do very well. Even though we’re not even halfway through the season yet, we want to achieve good results, but obviously, step by step.
“Sunday is a chance to show what we can do.”
On Allegri…
“The coach doesn’t ask me many things, he just told me: ‘be free,’ and the most important thing is to stay focused and have the right mentality, because he knows what I can do with the ball and that I can help the team even without the ball.
“He’s more like a father asking his son to always do better at school and in life, to do things the right way. I feel happy and very confident in every game because I know he’s counting on me.
“He just asks me to stay focused even after a goal, to not stop.”
On his position…
“To be honest, I like one-on-one situations, dribbling past one, two, or three defenders, but we know football has changed, and statistics matter too. I don’t really like them. I grew up watching Robinho, Ronaldinho, Quaresma, and Cristiano, and those types of players excite me, seeing what they do on the pitch.
“Today, however, the most important thing is scoring goals, so in my current position, I’m close to those players who make the difference, and you make the difference by scoring, not just by dribbling. Allegri has changed my mentality, bringing me closer to scoring.
“Sometimes, playing on the wing, I’m too far away, and if you want to be the right man, you have to make the difference.”
On Pulisic…
“I think he’s changed. When I saw him at Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, he was a winger who liked to dribble, one-on-one, go from one side to the other, with a lot of skill. Christian understands what I was talking about earlier about the evolution of football and statistics.
“He’s a player with great qualities, but he’s also very intelligent, and in that position, where he plays now, as a number 10, he knows how to move, and when I play with him, I try to help him and create space for him.
“He’s very important to us, and we can make a difference at any time. He can certainly play on the right or left, so the coach has more options.”
On the songs that footballers sing when they arrive at the team…
“I arrived at Milan when I was 19 or 20 years old. I couldn’t say no, so I sang for a minute and then left immediately.”
On becoming a father:
“It taught me to be more focused and to enjoy every single moment. They give me strength, when there are negative moments, I think about them, I try to realise how I can do better.”
English (US) ·