Rafael Leão (Part 1)

Rafael Leão is a highly talented Portuguese footballer known for his exceptional skills as a left winger. His dribbling ability, speed, and finishing prowess have earned him recognition as one of the premier wingers in the world.
Leão began his professional career after graduating from the Sporting CP youth system. He made his debut for the first team in 2018 and contributed to the club's success in winning the 2017–18 Taça da Liga. However, his time at Sporting CP was marred by controversy when he unilaterally terminated his contract following an incident involving fans.


Shortly after leaving Sporting CP, Leão joined Lille in Ligue 1 on a free transfer. His performances in France caught the attention of AC Milan, who signed him in 2019 for a reported fee of €35 million. At Milan, Leão continued to impress, playing a key role in the team's triumph in the 2021–22 Serie A season, ending the club's 11-year league title drought. His standout performances earned him the Serie A Most Valuable Player award and a place on the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d'Or.
On the international stage, Leão has represented Portugal at various youth levels, including the under-17 team that clinched the 2016 European Championship title. He made his senior international debut in 2021, marking the beginning of what promises to be a stellar career for both club and country.


Rafael Leão's journey in football began at a young age when he joined Sporting CP's youth system at just 9 years old, following a short stint in other youth setups. Despite his youth, he made significant strides in his development and showcased his talent early on.
Even before fully transitioning to senior football, Leão made waves by making his debut for Sporting CP's reserves on 21 May 2017. Despite still being a junior player, he impressed by scoring in a 1–1 draw against Braga B.
His breakthrough into the first team came under the guidance of manager Jorge Jesus. On 11 February 2018, Leão made his Primeira Liga debut, coming on as a substitute in a match against Feirense. Just a few weeks later, he made headlines by scoring his first goal for the senior team against Porto, becoming the youngest-ever scorer for Sporting CP against that opposition.


However, Leão's time at Sporting CP was overshadowed by a dark chapter in the club's history. Following a violent attack on players and staff by a group of club supporters in May 2018, Leão took the drastic step of unilaterally terminating his contract with Sporting CP on 14 June 2018. He cited the traumatic events of the attack as the reason for his departure from the club.
After a contentious departure from Sporting CP, Rafael Leão found a new home at Lille in France on 8 August 2018. Despite Sporting CP disputing the transfer and filing a complaint with FIFA, Leão officially joined Lille on a free transfer, signing a five-year contract.
However, Leão's transfer to Lille faced obstacles due to the club's financial difficulties, resulting in sanctions imposed by the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion (DNCG). Initially, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) did not approve his transfer, prompting Leão to consider terminating his contract with Lille. Ultimately, after deliberation with his representative, he opted to remain with the club, and the DNCG validated Lille's pending contracts, including Leão's.


Leão made his competitive debut for Lille on 30 September 2018, coming on as a substitute in a victory over Marseille. He wasted no time in making an impact, scoring his first Ligue 1 goal in just his second appearance, helping Lille secure a 1–0 win against Caen. Throughout the season, Leão showcased his talent, scoring eight goals in 26 competitive matches for Lille. He played a significant role as a striker under coach Christophe Galtier and contributed to Lille's impressive performance in the 2018–19 Ligue 1 season, where they finished as runners-up.
Rafael Leão made a significant move to AC Milan, signing a five-year contract for a fee of €35 million plus a 20% sell-on clause. His Serie A debut came on 25 August, as he came on as a substitute against Udinese in a 1–0 away defeat. Leão scored his first goal for AC Milan on 29 September in a 1–3 home loss to Fiorentina.


However, his transition to Milan was not without complications. On 19 March 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Leão had to pay €16.5 million to Sporting CP for his unilateral breach of contract. Despite this setback, Leão continued to make his mark at Milan. On 7 July 2020, he scored a crucial goal against league-leaders Juventus, helping Milan secure a remarkable 4–2 comeback win after being down by two goals. By the end of the season, Leão had scored six goals in 31 league matches, contributing to Milan's sixth-place finish and a 10-match unbeaten streak.
In the following season, Leão continued to impress. On 4 October 2020, he scored a brace in a 3–0 home victory against Spezia. He further showcased his talent in European competitions, scoring his first goal in the UEFA Europa League on 29 October in a 3–0 home victory against Sparta Prague.


One of the standout moments of Leão's career came on 20 December, when he scored the fastest goal in the history of Serie A and Europe's top-five leagues, finding the net after just six seconds in a match against Sassuolo, which Milan ultimately won 2–1.
On 3 January 2021, Leão added to his tally by scoring the second goal in a 2–0 away win against Benevento, becoming the second youngest foreign player in Milan's history to score more than ten goals in Serie A, after Alexandre Pato.
At the beginning of the 2021–22 season, Rafael Leão continued to showcase his talent for AC Milan. On 29 August, he scored a remarkable goal from outside the box in a 4–1 home victory against Cagliari at San Siro.


His performances in the UEFA Champions League also caught attention. On 15 September, in his Champions League debut, he provided an assist for Ante Rebić in a narrow 3–2 away defeat to Liverpool. Subsequently, on 28 September, he scored his first goal in the competition during a 2–1 home loss against Atlético Madrid.
As the season progressed, Leão's impact grew even further. On 9 February 2022, he opened the scoring against Lazio and assisted the second goal, showcasing his versatility and effectiveness on the field. This performance marked his involvement in 14 goals throughout the season, surpassing any previous records he held in Europe's top five leagues.


Four days later, in his 100th appearance for Milan, Leão scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory against Sampdoria, elevating Milan to the top of the league table and underlining his importance to the team.
On 25 February, he continued his scoring form by netting his eighth league goal of the season against Udinese, securing a 1–1 draw and becoming only the second player in AC Milan's history to score in a Serie A match on each of the seven days of the week, following in the footsteps of Andriy Shevchenko.

References

1.  Karlsen, Tor-Kristian (27 November 2022). "Why every club wants to sign Portugal and AC Milan forward Rafael Leao". ESPN. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
2. ^ "FC 100 best men's soccer forwards, 2022-23". ESPN. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
3. ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Portugal" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
4. ^ "Rafael Leão è un nuovo giocatore del Milan". Serie A (in Italian). 1 August 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
5. ^ "Rafael Leão" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
6. a b c Pousset, Maxime (19 February 2019). "Rafael Leão, cœur de lion". LOSC (in French). Retrieved 28 October 2023.
7. ^ "Poderá Rafael Leão vir a ser a nova estrela do Sporting?" [Can Rafael Leão be Sporting's next star?]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 February 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
8. ^ "RAFAEL LEÃO »» Do futebol de rua nas Paivas à sua passagem pelo Amora" [RAFAEL LEÃO »» From street football at the Paivas to Amora spell]. Jornal de Desporto (in Portuguese). 6 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
9. ^ "COMENTÁRIO: Sporting B empata com Braga B e impede terceiro lugar aos minhotos" [COMMENT: Sporting B draw with Braga B and prevent minhotos from finishing third]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 May 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
10. ^ Marques Simões, Rui (11 February 2018). "Leões vencem Feirense com dois golos tardios" [Lions beat Feirense with two late goals]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 March 2018.
11. ^ ""Rafael Leão tremia por todo o lado"" [«Rafael Leão was shaking all over the place»]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 11 February 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.