Leao’s “new life”: from a listless twenty-year-old to Milan’s leader and driver

Leao took “Beginning” literally. “Start”. “New life”. Which for him goes beyond the basic meaning. “Beginning” is the title of his first album as an amateur rapper, 7 songs written by him to make everyone understand that in addition to football there is music, which has always been a passion. Maybe the future: “When I stop playing I could do that.” Maybe. “Beginning”, however, is also the way of understanding this 2022, which started off well with 3 goals and 2 assists in four games. Nobody like him.

Repertoire

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Leao took Milan to never leave him. He put aside those attitudes criticized by many, especially Ibra, to become a leader and driver. He learned to play with a smile, to have fun on the pitch, to change body language. Pioli had told him over and over again: “Sometimes he’s in the middle of the clouds, he must have more enthusiasm”. He didn’t get it repeated. Watch it today. Decisive, prolific, overflowing. A homo novus. In the last few matches he has carried Milan on his shoulders: goals in the 3-1 against Roma, a couple of assists in the trio against Venice, another call to Genoa in the Cup and Monday’s lob against Spezia, after having earned the penalty (later wrong by Theo). The emblem of his growth is Venice-Milan, however. Pioli called him back to the bench after an hour because he had given everything.

First Henry

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First the assist for Ibra, then the leap from number 10 for Theo. In between dribbling, revs, cuts and solos to show everyone that the little boy has now changed. And that perhaps the comparison with Henry is not so utopian: “It reminds me of the first Titì, when he started from the left to concentrate.” Nick Amoruso, former partner of the Frenchman in that Juve, agrees with him: “There are some similarities”. The difference is the goals, because the Arsenal gem reached 30 playing from number nine. Rafael has tried to make the forward, he has done it several times in his career between Sporting and Lille, but so far he has shown that he is at his best as an attacking winger.

How many goals

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With the last leap against Spezia he reached 8 goals of the season (with 5 assists), equaling the 2018/19 season with Lilla. With Milan, in the two previous seasons, he reached 6 goals in the league. The same as now. “God gave me the talent, then there are sacrifices”. He needed ear pulls, puffs and a few benches, but by now he understands. Ibra reminds him every day of the importance of the mental aspect, Pioli the value of tactics and how to be able to sting while the club is rubbing its hands. Portuguese was taken off the market in the summer. “It does not sell, look elsewhere”. Rafael, indolent and a little listless in his twenties, has finally become what everyone was waiting for: driver and technical leader. “Beginning”. A new start. It can be said out loud.