Italian media reveals: How did Allegri "force" Leo to become Milan s new ace?

As soon as the pre-season training started, the Milan Sports Daily exposed Allegri's special attention to Leo. The Portuguese winger was always publicly beaten under Fonseca and Concesan in the past, and even sat on the bench, but the effect was mediocre. Now Allegri has chosen a completely different strategy: while providing patient guidance in private, he is open and high-profile "supporting" the enemy. During the two days of training, the coach not only frequently stopped practicing and demonstrated in person, but also constantly emphasized the details of "opening up the wing space". More importantly, he spoke directly: "Leo is an artistic player, and fans buy tickets to watch him perform" - although this sounds like a compliment, it actually implies expectations.

Leo scored only 8 league goals last season, nearly half of his 15 goals at his peak. But Allegri obviously doesn't want to repeat his ex's mistakes. He learned from Pioli's successful experience: it is better to give him enough trust than criticism. It was this "carrot tactic" that made Leo explode in 2022, not only won the Serie A MVP, but also helped Milan win the championship. However, there is a variable in the new season: his golden partner, Special Olympics, left the team after transfer. In the past, the two had a tacit understanding on the left, but now Leo can only carry the banner of attack alone.

Allegri didn't even arrange a substitute for Leo, and his intention was obvious: he wanted to force him to break through the bottleneck. After all, 26 years old is the golden period for players, and Leo's physical fitness and speed are already comparable to Milan's legend Gulit, and the only difference is stability and goal efficiency. The goal of 20 goals in a single season sounds like a fantasy, but Allegri seems determined to be a gamble.