Rafael Leão says he had early chance to join Benfica | OneFootball

Rafael Leão says he received an offer from Benfica at the start of his footballing journey. The Milan forward instead continued his development at Sporting before making his name internationally.

He recalled a family neighbour, Luís Santos of Amora, who first guided him into organised football. "I was playing in the garden behind the building and he walked by and said, 'I think you have something and, as I work at Amora, you could come and train there'," he told Sport TV’s Futebol Arte, hosted by Luís Freitas Lobo.

After joining Amora at a very young age, Leão stood out at a tournament and an approach from Benfica followed, a landmark moment for a boy from a family largely made up of Benfica supporters.

It ultimately fell through. He said the club had promised logistical support, notably transport to training, which never arrived, creating problems for his family. "On Monday I left school and nothing, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, nothing."

With no reply, the family terminated the process and Leão went to Sporting to continue his development. He said he never received a clear explanation for why the prospective move to Seixal did not progress.

Source: Glorioso 1904