Stefano Tirelli, a known mental coach, spoke about Rafael Leao to Tuttosport:
“If the new role can be destabilizing for Leao? I wouldn’t say destabilizing, it’s a new way of positioning and moving on the pitch that requires time for new neuromuscular patterns to adjust. Everything depends on the nervous system, on how you perceive the field, on how your movements change from one area to another. The key word is time. For Leao, it’s an opportunity to improve himself and step out of his comfort zone."
Leao was coming back from an injury
"The aerobic mechanisms are less efficient, there’s less sharpness, you don’t have the same resistance to fatigue that allows you to perform athletic actions over 90 minutes. The physical aspect goes hand in hand with the mental one. It’s not a question of whether Allegri’s system works for Leao or not. Allegri is a coach with such experience and ability to read his players that he’s trying to channel Leao’s wonderful creativity into tactical discipline."
"As for Rabiot encouraging Leao to get a move on? A message passed between players is neutral. I’m convinced Rabiot’s intention was good, not an ultimatum, but advice meant to support and motivate him to seize the moment, knowing time moves fast for all of us. Teammates talk to each other. While others wonder how Leao took it, I’m sure the two already gave each other the right answers.”
