Rafael Leao has once again expressed his love for AC Milan, while setting the lofty aim of winning the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
Leao has been on a rollercoaster ride since he joined Milan in 2019, going from being mostly a substitute to the MVP in a side that won the title. This season might have been his most difficult, given he spent some time on the bench under Paulo Fonseca.
However, the game against Inter on Monday showed exactly what he is capable of. His introduction off the bench (this time due to not being fully fit rather than by tactical decision) quite simply changes the game.
The Portuguese winger won the free-kick for the goal that halved the deficit, was involved in the equaliser by feeding Theo Hernandez who then assisted Christian Pulisic, and he squared for Tammy Abraham’s last minute winner.
Sergio Conceicao needs Leao at his best to lead a charge up the table and the early signs are good. The winger spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport in a long interview about life on and off the pitch.
Firstly, tell us about your twins…
“My twins. They are very different from each other, you can see it from the first few months: Thiago is more agitated, Leonardo is like me, he sleeps a lot, he is calm and quiet, he likes to observe.
“He will be a boy who is good at staying in his place. My children are my strength, the most beautiful thing in the world. I wanted to be a father before I was 25 and they arrived at the right time.
“It is an incredible experience but also difficult because I can’t see them every day. I have the example of my dad who has always been close to me. Let’s hope that at least one of them becomes a footballer…”
Will the first video you show them be your performance in the Supercoppa final?
“I don’t think about myself. The strongest image I will take with me from Riyadh is that of the whole group celebrating Abraham’s goal. A moment of shared joy. A memory that will stay with me forever and that I will certainly tell my children about.”
A sense of unity was seen again: was Conceiçao the one who restored it in a few days?
“He brought energy and a new mentality. That’s how we managed to win the Supercoppa and doing so was important for everyone. For us who have been here for a long time and for the new players, who understood what it means to lift a trophy with Milan.
“I have already won a Scudetto here, which is the greatest thing to win after the Champions League, but I have never been able to describe what I felt with words. Now everyone has felt certain sensations and we must continue on this path.
“Winning a derby in that way was wonderful: it reminded us that we are on the right path to put other important titles in the cabinet.”
After the 2021-22 Scudetto, did you think you would have to wait two and a half years to celebrate another trophy?
“It was tough, but sometimes football is like that. With this new direction [meaning after the change of ownership] the ambition has always been to win, but certain processes need time.
“We have finally won an important trophy like the Supercoppa and now we have to continue to do things the right way. Wearing this shirt every game is a responsibility and an honor. Everyone is doing a great job.”
So you won’t wait another two and a half years to lift the next trophy?
“Definitely not. Something in us has changed.”
What is it?
“The energy and mentality I was talking about before were seen against Juve and Inter. Those who were out due to injury chose to be ‘inside’ the team, to give their contribution from the stands: it was an extra step.
“A message for us and for the others. And in fact I feel that now, before entering the field, even the opponents perceive us differently. The two comeback wins confirm this.”
You speak like a true Milan fan…
“When I arrived here I was already a fan of Milan, the team where many important players I admired as a child have passed through. I immediately understood the passion of the fans and what it meant to wear this shirt, which has a special weight.
“I thought I wanted to stay here for years and win trophies. Now I just have to thank those who brought me to Milan, those who helped me improve and grow as a player and as a person every day.”
So you are happy at Milan, for the present and future…
“Yes, let’s hope so.”
With a Scudetto and the Supercoppa, you have won what Ibrahimovic did at Milan. Will you let him know?
“(Laughs) Never. Zlatan is too important a person, he puts it into my head that I have to raise the level on every occasion to try to always win. He has a career full of successes and I cannot compare myself to him: he is an example. For me and for others. He knows what it takes to win and tries to transmit it to each of us.”
Conceiçao, meanwhile, called you a ‘phenomenon’ and added that she will become ‘one of the strongest in the world’. Were you pleased by his words?
“My goal is to be at the top and get close to the strongest. If the coach is good he can help me, the rest depends on me. I try to put my characteristics at the service of the team.
“Conceiçao doesn’t always joke, but he knows how to push me and will help me get to a higher level. We are counting heavily on him. I am ready to listen and follow his ideas which are good, given that he arrived and after a few days we won a trophy.
“Now we have to think game by game and keep the positive energy we felt in Arabia. We have to continue like this.”
It seems like a clear break from Fonseca’s tenure. What didn’t work with him?
“I have nothing to say about our coach-player relationship, even though we had to resolve a couple of situations at the beginning – and I don’t mean problems, but situations. He tried to do his job, to apply his ideas and I think there’s always something to learn.
“But it didn’t work and whether he should have stayed or not, I’m certainly not the one to decide. However, I can say that everyone tried to give their all and that I wish Fonseca the best.”
Even though he left you on the bench three times in a row in Serie A? Did you get angry or did not playing from the first minute motivate you?
“A bit of both. I think that at least one explanation for three consecutive benches can be given, but sometimes coaches do that… It was the first time it happened to me at Milan and I also learned.
“If it happens again, and I hope not because I want to always be on the pitch, I will be more aware of what I have to do, that is, stay focused, not get down or lose confidence in myself, which is the most important thing to do our job at our best. In any case, the past is the past and I look to the future with confidence.”
On Monday in Riyadh we saw a Leao worthy of the Ballon d’Or. Like at the Bernabeu against Real and at the end of the 2021-22 season, when you almost single-handedly won the last six games. Why aren’t you always like this? Are those who call you too inconsistent right?
“You can’t always play at your best: there are also ‘normal’ games or games where you can do little. In recent years I’ve understood that football has changed: statistics count a lot and we look at the number of goals and assists, more than performances. I’m trying to become more aggressive in front of goal to add more quality and be at the level of the top.”
Do you have the dream of winning the Ballon d’Or?
“Of course, but for me the most important thing is to win a big trophy with the team. The Ballon d’Or is a consequence of the results with your club. That’s why my first ambition is to win the Champions League. And to do that I know I have to make the difference in every match, I have to be important for Milan.”
By the way, who would you have given the 2024 Ballon d’Or to?
“To Vinicius.”
Meanwhile, tomorrow the race in Serie A starts again. Are you ready for the climb towards the Champions League places?
“When we came back, the coach spoke to us and told us to keep our feet on the ground. We think game by game, but I personally felt a new jolt. Conceiçao has already shown that he can do great things: in his career he has won many trophies and he has already done it with us too.
“He brought his experience and now we want to continue winning as we should here at Milan. We have started working again with our heads down because we have to fight to get into the top four.”
Now we always need the real Milan, without the ups and downs of the past?
“Exactly.”
Tomorrow you will show the Supercoppa to the fans and it will be an evening to remember…
“Every time I enter San Siro with this shirt it’s a joy and I only think about winning something big, about taking the team forward and experiencing other beautiful and memorable moments. When you succeed… you get the desire to win again all together and as soon as possible.”
Is lifting the Champions League a goal currently out of reach?
“In Europe we have the ambition to go as far as possible, but we will always need the real Milan. The Champions League is the most beautiful cup in football and for us from now on they will all be finals. Yes, we can dream of winning something important too. Nothing is impossible.”
Even the Super Cup seemed difficult given how things were going and instead it arrived. Who do you dedicate it to?
“To my family who helped me get back up and to my teammates who support me every day. But also to Ibra and the coach who love me and want me to be better in everything.”
And to think that you seemed destined to be a simple spectator in Riyadh…
“Honestly, I thought I could play the final, but I knew that taking the field against Juve would have been a big risk. Mentally, the medical staff, the coach and his collaborators put me in the ideal conditions to do a good job.
“They gave me energy and the right mentality by telling me that we wouldn’t be back before Monday [the day of the final]. They were good and I thank the doctors and physiotherapists for what they did. This is also why I say that it was a victory for everyone.”
We close with the harshest criticism and the nicest compliment you received this season…
“We young players try not to listen to criticism, but sometimes it comes to you anyway. I never want to be influenced. The best compliments, however, are those of the team, the coach, the Milan directors and my family.”
And after Monday, you received a lot of them…
“Yes and I liked it.”
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