"In my day, there wasn't even a need for such reminders. On one side, we had Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta... On the other, there were Bergomi, Ferri, Berti, just to name a few. These weren't people who needed to be explained the significance of the derby with public statements."
"Today, with so many more foreigners and squads that change more frequently, I think Leao wanted to warn his teammates, especially the new arrivals, of the importance of a match like this. Rafa has been at Milan for almost seven years now, and rightly so, he spoke as a veteran."
"in a derby you bring a sense of belonging to the pitch"
AC Milan faces Inter in the Derby della Madonnina with the Scudetto title now out of reach following recent poor performances. The team's decline has been evident throughout the season, starting with an opening day loss to Cremonese. Despite abandoning title aspirations, Milan's squad has committed to maintaining championship-level performance, positioning themselves to capitalize if Inter falters. Rafael Leao, as a senior player and seven-year veteran, has emphasized the derby's significance to teammates, particularly new arrivals unfamiliar with the match's importance. Former Milan player Demetrio Albertini supports Leao's approach, noting that modern squads with frequent roster changes and international players require such reminders about derby tradition and the sense of belonging required for such matches.
Read at SempreMilan
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