The Rossoneri forward, on the sidelines of the presentation of his book, dispels rumors of departure. And on the renewal: ‘Milan is always close to me, I couldn’t leave them alone.’
“At the sidelines of the presentation of his book ‘Smile’ at the Duomo of Milan, Rafael Leao dispels rumors of leaving the Rossoneri jersey with a straightforward response. ‘PSG? I want to win many things with this important jersey, and I am happy here,’ he said to Sportmediaset microphones. The extension until 2028 was a pact of love:
‘I came to Milan as a child, then the first years were difficult because I didn’t play much. Milan helped me grow as a player and as a man. They have always been close to me, even in the most difficult moments of my life. My upbringing is also like that, loyalty, always comes first. I couldn’t leave them.’
‘I wanted to stay to complete a period of growth that I had started and to show how much more I could give as a player and as a man,’ Leao explained in his book. ‘Winning the Scudetto showed me how beautiful it is to win as a team.’
Regarding his goal against Atalanta: ‘I wanted to do it because it had been five months since I scored in Serie A,’ he said at the book presentation. ‘My celebration? Criticism drives me. There are good moments and not so good ones, that’s football, the important thing is how the team is doing. It’s not a fresh start, I just missed scoring.’
On the roles of Paolo Maldini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic: ‘Maldini initially provoked me in a positive way, he told me not to think only about dribbling but more about the team. He was an important person for my growth. Ibra transmitted his mentality to me: arrive early, be focused for 90 minutes. He always told me that the right opportunity would come. I’m young, I’m not perfect, I still have a lot to learn from these champions.’
On the objectives: ‘There’s an important game on Friday, then the Europa League, which is a goal. We want a warm San Siro.’
Debt to Sporting – ‘According to Italian law, I am finally free from my debt. I also have to thank Milan, who during that difficult time, were always very close to me.’
Furlani and Cardinale – ‘I certainly have to thank Giorgio Furlani. He is a great person, we often talk; he always tries to speak to me in Portuguese. His presence and constant support help me win on and off the field, as well as grow as a person. I have to say the same about Gerry Cardinale: every time he sees me, we talk and it’s clear that he cares about me and wants me to stay at Milan.’
On Pioli’s arrival: I had to try to find space and a way to communicate with Mister Pioli. At first, we weren’t on the same page, I remember a press conference of his that annoyed me, where he said things that, in my opinion, he shouldn’t have said, things he should have discussed first with the team.
‘It took time before we understood how to relate to each other,’ Leao continues, ‘he had the skill to find the best way to make me and the team play. He put me in a position to make a difference, and so we got closer. The secret was finding a clear and direct way to talk to each other. And as in life, in families, not talking to each other is often the worst choice you can make. Talking always clarifies everything, sometimes it doesn’t go as you wanted, but it’s better to have a truth that can hurt you than a lie.’
