Milan market, Rafael Leao leaves Instagram after criticism and rumors

“Sorry, this page is not available.” After the booing that came at the San Siro against Udinese and also at the time of his substitution in the challenge with Juventus, Rafael Leao chose to pull the plug and temporarily deactivated his official Instagram profile, a space he often uses to celebrate goals or send messages to the Rossoneri world.

In a complicated phase of his season (he hasn’t found the net since March 1), with the World Cup approaching and a future yet to be defined (his contract expires in two years, but AC Milan is willing to consider any offers), the Portuguese striker has decided to step away from social media to find some peace of mind.

The rift with the San Siro crowd is now hard to ignore. After the resounding booing that came when he was substituted in the match against Udinese, it was Adrien Rabiot who had come to the Rossoneri number 10’s defense: “I can understand the fans’ booing because it is a defeat, even a heavy one when we are close to the goal. The thing that disappointed me was the booing to Leao, because in my opinion at this moment we have to help and support him. And that doesn’t help him. We are all together until the end, it was bad but that’s how soccer is, we know that and we have to move on.” Strong words, which, however, do not seem to have changed the sentiment of a fan base increasingly impatient with a player perceived as discontinuous and not very involved.

On the dock, Leao also ended up there through the mouth of Paolo Di Canio, who in the columns of Corriere della Sera did not mince words: “Why renew a player who was stronger at 21 than now that he is 26? A player who continues to trapper and fashion shows? He is always injured, recovering late and who knows why. Milan without him wins and convinces, is a cohesive team. Do you want to start from there or from someone who does as he wants and also demands to be pampered? I would have no doubts.”

A merciless judgment that reflects an increasingly widespread opinion in Italian soccer circles. From a technical point of view, the season’s numbers tell a story of spotty talent: 9 goals and 3 assists in 25 games, with a still solid scoring average, but an overall impact deemed insufficient compared to the roughly 7 million euros net per season salary.