Rafael Leao is currently sidelined due to a physical setback which took place on August 17. He picked up a calf injury in the qualifier against Bari, is waiting to return under head coach Massimiliano Allegri. In the meantime, he appeared on the podcast 'Say Less' where he spoke about his career, from missing out on Benfica at eight years old to joining Milan.
He revealed Inter were the first to make him an offer.
"I was very close to going to Inter, crazy. The sporting director at Lille told me: Rafa, we’re selling you to Inter. I said no. I had a strong season, I wanted to stay one more year to improve and gain confidence. He kept telling me, no, no, I need to sell you, it’s a big opportunity, big money. I said Inter, no. One, two, three weeks later, he came back and said Milan are interested. I said yes, Milan yes, if they bring an offer I’ll accept. Two days later he told me they made the offer, someone wants to talk to you. He passed me to Paolo Maldini, not a call but a video call. Maldini told me: you must come, we are ready for you. I accepted, I couldn’t say no," as relayed via Milan News.
Why Milan?
"Since I was a child, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kakà, Seedorf, those players you saw or heard about were history. Then you know, 7 Champions League titles, only Real Madrid has more. Between Milan and Inter, Milan a hundred times'."
Arriving in Milan:
"When Maldini called me, I was in a hotel because we were on preseason camp in Portugal. I went to Milan with my family, and I stayed in a hotel for a month. I realized how big this club was when I played my first home game. It was incredible, the stadium full, I thought: 'This is really crazy.' Even when we won the Scudetto, it’s something that a player has to experience to understand how important it is to play for Milan."
Leao, first derby?
“Exciting. The streets were blocked, red and blue everywhere, fans hitting the bus, it’s always crazy. It’s us or them. Even if we play badly before, when derby week starts you must be fully focused, because it’s us or them, and for the rest of the season people talk about that match.”
Many champions have played at Milan: Ronaldo, Shevchenko, Maldini, Ibra. How does it feel to be part of this club's history? What’s the difference between your first appearance and your two-hundredth, for example?
"It’s always the same joy, with the responsibility to do well, have fun, and I came here for that. It doesn't make sense to come to this club just to come and go. When you leave, people should remember what I did. I think I’m doing well, I’m very proud, and I can’t wait to continue like this and even more."
On missed Benfica move, Leao said:
"Benfica wanted to sign me. My father said yes, he is a Benfica fan also. Benfica signed, but my father at the time had no car, no way to go to the training. Benfica said: 'Sign the contract, we have the van for your kid. We can pick you up from the school to the training. Waiting for the van, the van didn't come. Second day, third day. Nobody came. One week... I started crying. I didn't do one training session. So, we decided to sign with Sporting CP."
