Paolo Di Canio has harshly criticised Rafael Leão, saying his movements do not suit the role of a central striker and that his priorities "have changed".
The Milan star was booed by the fans during the 3-0 defeat to Udinese, while this season he has been used frequently as a central striker, including in the last match when coach Massimiliano Allegri switched to a 4-3-3 formation.
According to Sky Sport's analysis, Di Canio stressed that Leão plays in the center also for tactical reasons.
"We're talking about a player who has to make 50 moves to get the ball, but doesn't even make half of them if he's not sure he's going to get the pass," he said.
"He doesn't even make moves to open up space for his teammates because he's not sure he'll get involved in the action. Every striker has to work hard - imagine a player who looks lazy almost every time he doesn't have the ball," he added.
Leão was named Serie A's best player in the 2021/22 season, when he helped Milan win the title, but according to Di Canio, he has not made much progress since then.
"He has become comfortable, he has been pampered and he no longer has that desire to improve. His priority seems to have become something else," said Di Canio.
The former striker also criticized the Portuguese's off-field activities.
"I don't remember watching so many videos from catwalks or long sessions with music labels. If someone spends 5-6 hours on other things, their physical and mental energy drops. How can you recover to play at this level?" he said.
Meanwhile, La Gazzetta dello Sport has suggested that a split between Leão and Milan could happen at the end of the season, but Inter legend Beppe Bergomi believes he can restore the fans' trust.
"He can recover easily. I've been through tougher times, like many other players," he said./Express newspaper/
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