In his regular appearance on “Viva El Football,” Antonio Cassano, alongside co-hosts Lele Adani and Nicola Ventola, once again criticized Rafael Leao while praising AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca.
Cassano began by commending Christian Pulisic as Milan’s best player, describing him as “extremely strong.” He then praised Fonseca’s coaching, stating, “Milan played a great game, which means they have a coach who is liked. He said: ‘I don’t give a damn about names.’ He did well. Fonseca is a big-team coach and a good person who knows football and can explain it. Fonseca has once again shown he has balls.”
The former Italian striker didn’t hold back in his assessment of Leao, asking, “Now everyone has realized that Leao is crap? This is who Leao is.” Cassano expressed frustration with Leao’s behavior, saying, “What bothers me is that if I wanted to tell off a coach, I never did it from a distance, I said it to their face. He plays like crap for the first three months, goes to Portugal, and talks from a distance, saying he feels protected with Portugal. He should have the balls to say it to Fonseca. It can’t be a coincidence. We shouldn’t be surprised if the top players don’t play; if Leao doesn’t play, it should be normal.”
Cassano went on to compare Leao unfavorably with teammate Noah Okafor: “Okafor played and made excellent moves, coming back on the field and passing the ball well to Pulisic. Leao just runs, carries the ball forward, and crosses haphazardly. He has no idea about football. He’s just taking the money, eight million is crazy, and he’s only had two decent months. Should I judge him as a champion? Based on what? The field always speaks; if you suck, why should I give you a status you don’t deserve? There’s no difference between him and Okafor.”
In his characteristic outspoken style, Cassano concluded by accusing Leao of “stealing money,” reinforcing his view that the Portuguese player is vastly overrated and overpaid for his current level of performance.
