AC Milan's Rafael Leao gave an exclusive interview to those at CBS Sports. He discussed several topics.
Leão on his childhood and arrival at Milan
“The environment I grew up in? It’s a place with not many opportunities, but lots of talent. Kids play together in the park after school. These experiences helped me grow while staying humble. If you grow up under those conditions, when the world is at your feet, you learn what is right or wrong and you don’t get lost. Thanks to my father, but also my friends, I grew up that way. Has it always been football? Yes. I started late, around 7-8 years old. Before signing with Sporting, I had signed with Benfica. My father couldn’t take me at the time; he didn’t have a car. Benfica had offered to pick me up after school, and I was a Benfica fan back then. But what I was told didn’t happen. So I signed with Sporting. When you’re a kid, you just want to play football, and when you’re a fan, you want to play for that club. I was angry. Life brought me to the rivals, Sporting came along, and that’s how it started. Cristiano Ronaldo was the one who started? It was positive pressure, a push," as relayed via Milan Press.
On Milan’s call:
“Inter called sporting director Luis Campos and said they were interested. I wasn’t sure, but in the past I had followed and heard about Milan with Maldini and Ronaldinho, my idol. Not Inter. I said, I’ll stay another year. We finished the season second and would have played in the Champions League the following year. But then I was told: Milan wants you. I believed the deal would happen in a few days. In training, you do the first part, not the second. No risk. They said: someone wants to talk to you in ten minutes. FaceTime, Maldini. He asked how I was, said they had been following me during the season, asked if I wanted to be part of the Rossoneri family. And I went straight to signing.”
On Ibrahimović, Leao said:
“Was he demanding? Yes, too much, very demanding. In one training, some Primavera players joined us and in a small match he ended up losing with them. He went to the coach and said: ‘This is the last time these young players come to train with us.’ For me it was positive pressure. You have to learn from these people because if they talk to you, it’s because they care. I loved that. Yes, we still talk often. We have a good relationship; when he comes, he asks about my family. He has helped me a lot and is someone I want to keep in my life even off the pitch. If I need something, I know he’s there and will help me.”
On the league title and MVP award:
"I honestly didn’t expect it. After the match, we lifted the trophy and celebrated. Someone came to tell me: ‘Rafa, you’re the best player of the season.’ It was something I never expected. It was one of my best individual seasons. But it’s a team thing, because thanks to the team, you can perform well."
On his new more central role:
"I was ready, ready for anything before the season started. When the coach told me that, I was ready. When you play as a center forward, you can score more goals because you have more opportunities. Football is about numbers; if you want to be among the best, you need the numbers. It’s different from before. If you score more goals and provide some assists, you can be among the best.”
On his experience at Milan so far:
"I think it’s been a journey. It wasn’t easy for me and my family when I arrived. I’m happy to be here, to be a point of reference for the team and the fans. They want the best from everyone and know what we can do. When you play at Milan, you know there will be pressure because the fans want the top. When you lose or have a bad match, you feel it from the fans."
On his body language, Leao had this to say:
"I can’t change myself. Even as a child, I had a smile on my face; I can’t change that. If I did, I wouldn’t be Rafael Leão anymore. They know what I can do, that’s why they are demanding. I can’t change my body language; I’ve been like this for 26 years.”
On the derby, Leao said:
"I don’t go out in the days before, stay home. It’s a crazy week. Everyone wants tickets, you see the red, the blue. Everyone talks in the newspapers. Stay home, save energy. It’s the best match of the season. It’s a war, a matter of life or death. After that game, everyone will talk about it for weeks. Life or death. And I want to live. I watched it in the past; now playing it is incredible. Fans sing from start to finish; every ball, every touch, every duel, you have to treat it like it’s the last.”
On teammate Christian Pulisic:
"I have a good relationship with him. Now it’s much better; we know each other better on the field. This season we’ve had a few injuries, so we haven’t had many opportunities together. He’s a great player, one of the best in recent seasons. When he’s on the pitch, I know he’ll create something. He speaks Italian perfectly, even if with an American accent.”
