Rafael Leao says Zlatan Ibrahimovic is like an ‘older brother’ to him, while Stefano Pioli and Paolo Maldini are his ‘points of reference.’
The Portuguese striker is expected to start in the Milan derby tomorrow.
Leao, 22, has scored five goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this season and, during an interview with La Repubblica newspaper, he discussed his relationship with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Stefano Pioli and Paolo Maldini.
“Zlatan is like an older brother to me,” the Portuguese starlet said.
“He knows I can make the difference with the ball at my feet, but he shows me that the most important thing is to be constantly focused.
“Pioli is a point of reference. We are a young team, but he tells us to enjoy our freedom and honour the shirt.
“God has given me the talent, which is rare. However, I must add sacrifices and hard work. You don’t play alone in football, I have a talent to cultivate and I’ve proved that I can make it at Milan.
“Pioli is a point of reference, an exigent coach, while [Paolo] Maldini is an idol who speaks with simplicity to help everybody give their best.”
Did he really say exigent?
I get the feeling he needed a Zlatan type. Much like Pogba suddenly started looking like a good player when Zlatan was at Utd and stopped when he left.