GdS: Repeated talks and GPS data – why Fonseca continues to bench Leao | OneFootball

Rafael Leao has ended up in a rather uncomfortable situation at AC Milan, currently considered the second choice behind Noah Okafor. As a report highlights, Paulo Fonseca refuses to budge, referring to objective data.

Milan will be up against Monza tonight and Leao is expected to be benched for the third consecutive game in the league. This will raise a lot of eyebrows and it’s already being reported that Leao has asked his agents to explore a transfer.

According to today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo below), Fonseca’s reasoning is clear: he’s not being benched for a lack of goals, assists or accelerations, but rather for his pressing and the sacrifices made in the defensive phase.

Fonseca has had repeated talks with Leao about what he wants in the defensive phase, using video content and individual exercises. Evidently, however, the non-possession work isn’t in Leao’s DNA as things stand.

The commitment is not disputed, seeing as the No.10 is eager to prove himself, but the GPS data also doesn’t lie: his teammates work more and harder in the defensive phase. If Leao were to improve here, then the pecking order would surely change again.

For now, though, Fonseca won’t go back on his words and continues to wait for Leao to adapt to the new tactics. The newspaper describes it as a ‘tug of war’ and it’s easy to understand why the player is frustrated. Having said that, Fonseca losing credibility also wouldn’t be ideal.