Milan legend Demetrio Albertini has praised current Rossoneri star Rafael Leao for his attitude ahead of the "Derby della Madonnina" against rivals and league leaders Inter, suggesting the Portuguese is starting to talk and act "like a veteran".
Milan will be at home in the next Serie A derby on Sunday evening.
Massimiliano Allegri's team won 1-0 in the first leg in November.
Inter convincingly leads the table after 27 matches, with a 10-point advantage over Milan, which is the closest follower.
However, despite the difference in standings, Leao stressed the importance of the match after the 2-0 win over Cremonese, describing the derby as a matter of "life or death".
Albertini congratulated Leao for the importance he has given to the derby.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said:
"In my time there was no need for reminders. We had Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta; they had Bergomi, Ferr, Berti. Those players didn't need to be explained publicly what the derby meant.
"Today, with so many foreign players and frequent changes in the team, I think Leao wanted to warn his teammates, especially the new arrivals, about the importance of this match. Rafa has been at Milan for almost seven years and now he is rightly speaking like a veteran," he said.
Leao had advised his teammates not to go out during the week, but to stay at home and prepare as much as possible for the derby.
“For a professional, this should always be normal,” Albertini said with a laugh.
"Maybe Leao didn't use the right words, but I support the essence of his message."
Asked if the week before the "Derby della Madonnina" is always "special", Albertini replied:
"For me, not in training. As a professional, out of respect for the coach and teammates, you have to maintain the same standard every week. What changes is the atmosphere of the fans and the city, you really feel it."
He added that he doesn't think Allegri will treat the preparation for the derby any differently than the matches against Cremonese, Napoli or Juventus.
When asked if Leao was right to call the derby a matter of "life or death", Albertini said:
"It's the last call. If Inter win on Sunday, they can start sewing the Scudetto on their shirts and prepare for the celebration. That's why I think the match is much more important for Milan than for Chivu's team."
However, even if Milan wins, Albertini thinks it is difficult to recover the difference:
"Seven points are still a lot, especially with this Inter that is moving at an incredible pace in Serie A.
"But Inter must be careful not to make any mistakes. In football, never say never. I won a Scudetto from being -7 points with seven games to go in the 1998-99 season, overthrowing a great Lazio. We won them all, they lost two in a row to Roma and Juventus, and in the penultimate week we made the decisive breakthrough," he concluded./Express newspaper/
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