Milan legend on Rafael Leão: fighting inner demons | OneFootball

Milan legend Ruud Gullit offered some advice to Rafael Leão, praising his talent but criticizing his lack of consistency in performances. The former Dutch player, jokingly, says the winger seems to be "fighting demons".

"I believe Rafael Leão is a great player, but sometimes he gives the impression that he is fighting the demons in his head. He is a good player, but sometimes it seems like his mind is not on the game," he told the Italian press.

The main criticism from the "Rossoneri" legend concerns the inconsistency of the forward developed at Sporting - who was praised by Allegri -, a recurring topic in the debate surrounding the player. "He has to find a way to deliver, at the very least, performances worthy of a 6 or 7, and then there are the exceptional performances worthy of a 9. But going from games worthy of a 9 to games worthy of a 4, no. I do not want that. He has the strength and ability to always play at, at least, a 6 or 7 level," he stressed.

Ruud Gullit again spoke of his admiration for the Portuguese player’s talent, but insisted on the need for a different attitude. "For me, Leão is a great player, I like watching him, but sometimes it seems like his mind is elsewhere. He has to take more pride in what he knows how to do. But when things are not going well, he also has to know how to play simply and grow gradually during the game", he concluded.

In the 2025/26 season, playing for Milan, Rafael Leão – valued at 65 million euros – has made 28 appearances: 26 in Serie A and two in the Coppa Italia. In the 1,829 minutes he has been on the pitch, the former Sporting player has scored 10 goals and provided three assists.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.