Allegri against Leao in the locker room, what happened, Rafa risks his job

The relationship between Leao and Allegri is a thin thread on which Milan’s season walks. Allegri in the locker room after the Turin match against Juve attacked Leao in front of part of the team, a moment not caught on camera but noticed by many. The sense of venting: Rafa must give more on the pitch if he wants to have a place in Milan this season. Otherwise he will risk being left out, as happened to him (at times) with Fonseca, with Conceiçao and in these matches on his return from injury. Let’s see what happened and what could happen in the coming months.

the public outburst

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The evening in Turin between Allegri and Leao was particular and developed in three moments. The first two, documented by Dazn. Before entering, Allegri, in the excitement of the match, says to Leao: “Don’t make me upset…”. You got it, come on. How did it go? Well, let’s say it could have gone better. The last minutes of Juventus-Milan testify. First Leao put out that left-foot shot from two meters and Allegri, looking at the bench, asked himself the same question as many fans on the sofa: “But how did he manage to throw it out?”. Then Leao wasted the assist from the usually phenomenal Modric and Allegri got furious. He banged his fingers on his head and screamed. He paced back and forth very nervously. He shouted: “Now no one will say a word in the locker room”.

cheerful to Leao in the locker room

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He said something. Inside the Stadium, in front of some teammates, Max turned to Leao telling him – decisively – that the right attitude to play for Milan cannot be the one seen in Turin. Easy conclusion: Leao, if he wants to be a starter for this team, must raise the level of intensity on the pitch. Cynicism in front of the goal cannot be taught in two weeks but the approach – that yes – can change quickly. It is no coincidence that among Allegri’s sentences recorded by the cameras there is a “Rafa, come back!” with some symbolic value.

and now, Milan’s season?

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The point now is to understand how Leao’s season and his relationship with Allegri will evolve. The episode in front of the team may not have pleased Rafa but these are things that happen, in many teams and certainly in those of Allegri, who has always known how to be direct with his players, above all he knows how to help talents grow. And then, there are ample justifications. Leao returned against Napoli and Juventus after a month and a half of absence due to a problem with his right calf: he couldn’t have been at 100% or even 80%, it’s ungenerous to judge him for these matches. His story, however, says that yes, the theme of the approach to the match with him is central. The Rossoneri’s number 10 has always been on and off, it has no continuity from match to match or within the same match. He needs to work on this. This is the point on which his career will take one path or another: strong but unfinished player or champion.

the competition: gimenez and nkunku

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Leao is currently with the national team, in Lisbon, in the city where he grew up. The ideal place to disconnect, not think too much about the very negative evening at the Stadium and move on. In the interview with the Gazzetta, Rabiot said something like an older brother: “Rafa is 26 years old, time passes quickly, I hope he realizes he can compete with the strongest.” This is what Pioli and Fonseca thought before him, with mixed successes: a great 2022 spring, then moments as a champion and empty passes. This time, there is a difference: Leao started the season as the team’s star but in Allegri’s 3-5-2 there is room for only one attacker next to Pulisic. And Gimenez-Nkunku, in this sense, is an insidious pair of rivals: Santi has determination for three and is growing, Christo has the shots of a high-level player. For the first time, Leao actually has competition. Everyone at Milan would like a mature, active, always decisive Rafa, but a lot will depend on him. That thread between the champion and the coach quickly became tense. What if it breaks?