In the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday, AC Milan lost 1-0 to Roma, and Rafa Leao was the central figure in the post-match discussion. According to reports from Sport and Tuto Sport, Leao was booed by some fans at the San Siro Stadium when he was substituted in the 87th minute towards the end of the game, however, both the sixth edition of Sport and Tuto Sport pointed out that the loyal fans of Curva Sud showed their support and encouragement for the Portuguese star by chanting Leao's name, apparently supporting their star at this crucial moment. Despite this, the boos took a psychological toll on Leao, who clashed with a reporter in the post-match mix due to emotional irritability, which Tuttosport described as stemming from a "misunderstanding" and Leao's sluggish emotional state.
The newspaper further revealed that Leao had lost possession as many as 11 times in the game and failed to complete a successful dribble or shot on target. Veteran journalist Luigi Garlando commented that expectations of Rafael Leo may have been too high, as he is trying to avoid repeating the trajectory of Mario Balotelli.
As the high-profile 24-year-old Portuguese winger for AC Milan, Rafael Leao is regarded as a key figure in the team's attacking system and is known for his ability to create miracle moments. So far this season, he has scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists in 39 games. Despite his impressive results, Leao has faced skepticism from some Milan fans and other observers, who fear that his maturity and consistency compared to his age group Kylian Mbappe and Phil Foden limits his chances of reaching the next level.
It is reported that PSG had been interested in seeing Leao as an option to replace Mbappe in the summer transfer window, but the Milan star seems to be enjoying himself in Italy and is not expected to move this summer, with his contract running until June 2028.
In his article for The Sport, Garlando delves into the discussion surrounding Leao and the question of expectations he faces. He pointed out after Milan's Champions League defeat against Newcastle that Leao is at a critical juncture in his career – either maturing and steadily developing into a Ballon d'Or superstar like Mbappe or, like Balotelli, trapped in the dilemma of not fully realising his potential and at risk of wasting his talent.
In the recent game against Roma, Rafael Leao was substituted in the 33rd minute of the second half, leaving Milan behind in their worst performance of the season. As he walked into the tunnel, the usual fans who loved him were greeted with unexpected boos, suggesting that patience within the club seemed to be running out.
There has been speculation that Leao's form has been sluggish, given that it is only five days since the last comfortable win over Lecce, and that it is the reason for the tactical changes, and despite the excellent performance of El Shaarawy off the bench, a true champion-caliber player should be able to break through his tactical limitations and show his self-worth, as Dybala did. Leao walked off the pitch with tears in his eyes in the face of boos, clearly disappointed with his performance in the big game and unable to meet the high expectations of the outside world.
Quoting from Plandelley's assessment of Balotelli a decade ago, Garlando's reflection on whether expectations of Leo were too high. While Rafael Leao has shown great scoring ability with a number of brilliant assists this season, he has scored back-to-back championship-level goals five months apart since the start of the year, showing his lack of consistency, even with ups and downs in the same game.
The Portuguese have been on the verge of getting better in a number of league competitions of late, but suffered a dramatic setback in a crucial game against Roma. If the real Leao is the player who has been in flux during the game, fluctuating like a seismograph, then should we re-examine the extraordinary expectations of him? Perhaps what we expect from Rafa Leao is a metamorphosis that he is not yet able to achieve, especially at the age of 24, which is not too young.