After the Serie A, Rafael Liao to conquer Portugal

After the Serie A, Rafael Liao to conquer Portugal

The fantastic season with Milan, the Portuguese striker now wants to do the same with his selection. Who is this Sunday against Switzerland (8:45 pm)?

Elected Serie A player of the year after his brilliant season in Milan, where he was under the wing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rafael Leao must now impress Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, the opponent of Switzerland, on Sunday in Geneva in the Nations League. The striker, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Friday, Portugal’s national holiday, made his debut for Seleção last week, against Spain. But it was his replacement, Ricardo Horta, who shone with his late equalizer of the disputed Iberian shock in Seville (1-1).

He entered at the end of the matches during Portugal’s victories over Switzerland last Sunday (4-0) and then the Czech Republic Thursday (2-0), as well as in Lisbon, the strong winger, who played eight international matches, and is still searching for his place. . In a workforce where he is in direct competition with Diogo Jota and Gonzalo Geddes. With 11 goals and 10 assists this season in Serie A, Rafael Leao has been one of the architects of Milan’s first coronation since 2011. The former Lille player, who was recruited by the Rossoneri in the summer of 2019 for about 30 million euros, but did not do so. She hides her ambitions.

I want to be a reference for Milan, choose and win the World CupThe person concerned said during a press conference at the beginning of the training session for this international armistice. “The first two years (in Milan, editor’s note) didn’t go as well as I wanted them to, but this year it did. I am more mature and confident and I hope to achieve great things in the futureThe Angolan player was born in Almada, in the southern suburbs of Lisbon.

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Same lineup as Ronaldo

Trained at the Sporting Portugal academy, the club that coached Cristiano Ronaldo and a good part of the squad that crowned Euro 2016, he had just made his professional debut there when he unilaterally terminated his contract to join Lille through Luis Campos, who had just been appointed. Paris SG football consultant in charge of recruitment. Like the others, Sporting’s door was closed after about forty violent fans invaded the Lisbon club’s training center.

But his departure from Lille OSC, without transfer compensation, was contested by Sporting. The Portuguese club won its case last month in an Italian court ordering Liao to pay 20% of his annual wage of 1.5 million euros that he receives at Milan, Portuguese sports newspapers reported. Under contract with Lombard club until 2024, the Portuguese striker has been courted by several European sharks, such as Real Madrid, who may consider him as an alternative to the failed transfer of Kylian Mbappe, or Manchester City.

It is difficult for a footballer to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, not only in Portugal but also in the world

Fernando Santos

While waiting for the summer transfer window, Portuguese coach Fernando Santos has already tried to calm the enthusiasm of journalists who asked him on Wednesday if Leao could become the next Cristiano Ronaldo. “It is difficult for a footballer to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, not only in Portugal but also in the worldCoach’s reaction. “It’s not even good for Raphael to ask these questions. Rafael Liao must be Rafael Liao, with his qualities and attributes“, Santos confirmed while confirming that he would participate in”Seleção future“.

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About the Author: Lucinda Lima

"Desbravador de cerveja apaixonado. Álcool alcoólico incurável. Geek de bacon. Viciado em web em geral."

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