4 hours ago
22
Rafael Leao has shed some light about how he ended up at AC Milan, including Paolo Maldini’s call and Inter’s attempts to land him.
It is over six years ago now that Leao arrived at Milan from Lille as a relative unknown, and in his time at the club he has established himself as one of the best players in the league. This was shown above all in the 2021-22 Scudetto-winning campaign, in which he was the Serie A MVP.
A couple of more mixed years followed after the 2022-23 season in which he had even better numbers, but the hope and belief is that he can finally become consistent under Massimiliano Allegri. That is, when he has recovered from a troublesome calf issue.
‘Milan over Inter, 100 times over’
Leao spoke on the ‘Say Less’ podcast about a number of different topics from his upbringing to his early career in Portugal. He was also asked about the most recent step in his career which was joining Milan, and his comments are via MilanNews.
How did you end up at Milan?
“I was about to go to Inter, crazy. The sporting director [at Lille] told me: ‘Rafa, we’re about to sell you to Inter’. I said: ‘No, I’ve done very well this season [referring to the season with Lille], I want to stay another season to improve even more and increase my confidence for the next challenge’.
“But he said no, no, I have to sell you, it’s a great opportunity for you, for us, it’s a lot of money. But I said no to Inter. A week, two, three weeks went by and the sporting director came back to me and said: ‘Milan are interested in you’. I said: ‘Yes, Milan are, if they come with an offer, I’ll accept’.
“After two days he came back and said: ‘They’ve brought the offer, someone wants to talk to you’. He put me through to Paolo Maldini, not a normal call but a video call. Maldini said: ‘You have to come, we’re ready to sign you’. I accepted, I replied, I couldn’t say no.”
Why did Milan convince you?
“Since I was a child, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka, Seedorf, those players you saw or heard about, were history. And you know, seven Champions Leagues, only Real Madrid has more. Between Milan and Inter, Milan a hundred times over.”
What was your arrival at Milan like?
“When Maldini called me, I was in a hotel because he was on preseason training in Portugal. I went to Milan with my family and stayed in a hotel for a month. I realised how big this club is when I played my first home game.
“It was incredible, the stadium was full… I thought it was truly incredible. Even when we won the Scudetto. It’s something a player needs to experience, to understand how important it is to play for Milan.”
How was your first derby?
“Exciting. The streets were all blocked off, you see everything red, blue, the fans even clapping on the bus, it’s always crazy, it’s like it’s us or them.
“Even though we have some bad games during the season, even before the derby, when derby week starts you have to be super focused, because it’s us or them, because for the rest of the season they’ll be talking about that game.”
Many great players have played for Milan, from Ronaldo to Shevchenko, Maldini and Ibrahimović. How do you feel about being part of this club’s history? What’s the difference between your first appearance and your 200th, for example?
“It’s always the same joy, with the responsibility of doing well, enjoying yourself, and that’s why I came here. It doesn’t make sense to come to this club just to come and go.
“When you leave, people need to remember what I’ve done. I think I’m doing well. I’m very proud and I can’t wait to continue like this and even more.”
English (US) ·