Leao after Napoli-Milan: “Words from outside charge us”. And swap shirts with Kvara

After all, the fact that Napoli was the only big player he hadn’t scored against is a detail. Because in Rafael Leao’s monstrous match there is much more and it is a decidedly more important “other”. There is the flagship of an entire squad that has taken the team back by the hand. There is a player who has returned to free his head, and therefore his legs. There’s a guy who’s started smiling again, and he was already doing it before throwing her in the hole the first time.

Exultation

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His coach said on the eve, regarding positions on the pitch and adaptability to game systems: “In this team there is only one player who can go wherever he wants, and that’s Leao”. Yes, Rafa went where he wanted, but he did it with great intelligence. First goal from a pure centre-forward, second from outside. Two beautiful goals, by the way. The message is clear: I don’t formalize myself on the forms. Not even Spalletti’s “scold” at the interval made him nervous, who must have said a few rough words about his celebration after the first goal. Rafa limited himself to giving him his version, put his arm around the waist of the blue coach and passed on. In practical and mental terms.

Thorns

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Leao returned to scoring with Milan and it may seem strange but this is news because that goal had been missing since January 14 (Lecce). Too much for those who are called upon to make a difference every time they step onto the lawn. Too much especially for those who have been at stake for months with a contract renewal that would make him – if there is a happy ending – by far the highest paid Rossoneri in the squad. This is a game that, thinking about it in the heat, could file the tip of the thorns at the negotiating table. At least it will serve to keep up a market price which, week after week, uncertainty after uncertainty, was partially eroding. At the end of the game, Rafa swapped shirts with Kvaratskhelia, and it’s obviously not a random name. The two smell each other, like each other, esteem each other and in some ways they look alike.

Power

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It was a natural exchange, one could say, just as the Portuguese words gushed out at the end of the game. It was – understandably – the picture of happiness. “This match was important for the championship, we want to achieve our goal which is to stay close to Napoli. The matches in the Champions League will be other matches and now we’re thinking about Empoli. Scoring is an incredible emotion, but even if I hadn’t scored today I would have been happy anyway, because we played a very good game. An incredible match, as a team.” Then he explains the exultation: “We heard a few words from outside that gave us more energy. However, I just want to respond on the pitch. I like listening to my coach, people outside the club don’t interest me. The things that come from outside, however, charge me. I had a somewhat complicated couple of months, now I’ve found myself thanks to my coach and my team. Kvara’s shirt? I’m a big fan of his, I like what he does on the pitch. I think he is similar to me, he likes to point the opponent. He is having a great season ”. This time, however, it was Leao’s big night.