Zaccheroni tries to explain Milan’s struggles and brands Leao a ‘fragile’ talent | OneFootball

Former AC Milan head coach Alberto Zaccheroni has given his thoughts on this season’s struggles, including Rafael Leao’s inconsistencies.

Zaccheroni arrived at Milan from Udinese in 1998 with Silvio Berlusconi having been impressed by his results with the Friulians. He took on a squad which included the likes of Paolo Maldini and George Weah, with Oliver Bierhoff arriving to boost the hopes ahead of the 1998-99 season.

Sure enough, the Italian coach delivered instantly as the Rossoneri lifted the Scudetto in his first season in charge, beating Lazio and Fiorentina to the title. Milan won their last seven matches and used a 3-4-3 system that got the best out of the forwards and wing-backs.

This season the league title is a distant dream. Milan are well behind their city rivals Inter, who won their 20th Scudetto in the last campaign, and the only remaining hope is to overcome the six-point gap to fourth to secure a Champions League place.

Speaking at the Maestrelli Award, Zaccheroni spoke to the reporters present about how his former club Milan are doing this season, including whether the top four hopes remain alive. MilanNews relayed his comments.

Milan have a great squad, yet their season is tormented. How do you explain it?

“I don’t know for sure, because I’m not in the team. But the players are not living up to expectations, not even the most important ones like Leao and Theo Hernandez. They are going in fits and starts. From the outside it’s hard to understand why.

“Leao has incredible talent, but he doesn’t put it on the pitch for 90 minutes. I see him play and I ask myself: why doesn’t he make the most of his qualities? They even gave him the captain’s armband to motivate him, but he continues to have ups and downs.

“In my opinion, he doesn’t have the right personality to handle that responsibility. He’s a talent, but fragile. From what I perceive, he’s a player with whom you have to use a soft approach.

“He shouldn’t be called out or scolded too much, because when he makes a mistake he doesn’t do it on purpose. You always have to reward him. This is my impression from the outside.”

So can Milan still get back into the race for the Champions League?

“The quality is there, there’s no doubt about it. The players are of a high level, but they don’t show it consistently on the pitch. You never know if it’s going to be their good day or not. There’s pressure in Milan, and those who play there have to know how to live with this pressure.”