Rafael Leao appreciates honest Ibrahimovic advice at Milan | OneFootball

Rafael Leao thanks Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his honest advice at Milan ahead of tonight’s Champions League play-off with Feyenoord. ‘Many people haven’t played and still talk as if they did.’

It kicks off at San Siro at 17.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Atalanta vs. Club Brugge on the Liveblog.

The first leg ended 1-0 in Rotterdam last week, decided by Mike Maignan’s howler letting the Igor Paixao snapshot squirm through him into the near bottom corner.

As the away goals rule was scrapped several years ago, it means the Rossoneri must win by one clear goal to force extra time, or more than one clear goal to win the tie outright.

Rafael Leao grateful to Ibrahimovic

epa11761049 Swedish former soccer player and AC Milan’s senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks on during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and AC Milan, in Bergamo, Italy, 06 December 2024. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

Speaking yesterday, Milan director Zlatan Ibrahimovic said that people need to be less critical of Rafael Leao, so how does the Portugal international feel about that?

“Ibra has always been like this, when things go well he tells me, when they do not go as well, he tells me too,” Leao told Sky Sport Italia.

“He is a very important person for me and I think all the others too, he helped me at Milan, he was a player and understands what things are like on the field.

“There are a lot of people who haven’t played and still like to talk about it as if they did. The most important thing is those people who know how to help, the coach and the squad.”

Ibrahimovic stepped in for Sergio Conceicao in yesterday’s press conference so that the coach could return home to Portugal, where he could attend the funeral of former Porto President Jorge Pinto da Costa.