Rafael Leao will be suspended for Milan’s upcoming Serie A match against Bologna in Serie A on Monday night, but will now be fully rested and is expected to return to the starting line-up in time to face Bologna again in the Coppa Italia final next Wednesday.

 

The Portugal international was left among the substitutes for Milan’s 2-1 win away against Genoa on Monday night, but was introduced earlier than expected after half an hour as Youssouf Fofana was forced off through injury.

 

Leao then scored the equaliser for Milan with a quarter of an hour left to play, before an own goal by Morten Frendrup handed the Rossoneri all three points.

 

Leao suspended for Milan-Bologna

Rafael Leao of Milan looks on during the Serie A match between Genoa and AC Milan at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on May 5, 2025 in Genoa, Italy.

Rafael Leao of Milan looks on during the Serie A match between Genoa and AC Milan at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on May 5, 2025 in Genoa, Italy.

Leao picked up a booking with eight minutes of regular time left to play, his fifth of the season in Serie A, which means that he will now be suspended for the upcoming league match against Bologna on Friday night.

 

He will serve a one-match ban, which means that he will be eligible to feature in Milan’s next game after Bologna, which coincidentally happens to be against the Rossoblu, as the two teams will meet next Wednesday in the Coppa Italia final in what will be a double-header of Milan-Bologna matches.

 

It was Loftus-Cheek who stood in for Leao in the starting line-up on Monday night, but with concerns over Fofana after his first-half substitution, the Englishman may be required to play in his natural position in central midfield.

 

That means that there is a decision to make for Sergio Conceicao on the left wing: Pulisic could play there with either Samuel Chukwueze, Yunus Musah or Alex Jimenez on the right.

 

Riccardo Sottil missed out on Monday night, so is unlikely to be fit enough to start on Friday. He would be the most natural replacement on the left wing.

 

It has been a strange season for Rafael Leao on a personal level, one where a lack of home comforts have been contrasted by strong away performances.

 

As La Gazzetta dello Sport state, Milan will obvious be playing away from San Siro tonight in Genoa. They will do so again on Wednesday 14th in Rome against Bologna, in the Coppa Italia final, and on Sunday 18th at the same stadium (the Olimpico), this time against Roma.

 

Leao wants to make a difference and lift the third trophy of his Milan adventure after the 2020-21 Scudetto and the Supercoppa Italiana last January. The Portuguese is approaching the final act of the cup with the desire to be a protagonist, as he was in the title run-in and in the Riyadh final.

 

Qualifying for next season’s European competitions through league finish remains complicated, so the number ten intends to take the three points tonight above all to show Sergio Conceiçao that he is in shape and raring to go in the Coppa Italia finale.

 

Yesterday the coach called Leao and his wing-mate Theo Hernandez ‘two of the best in the world’ and the Portuguese does not intend to contradict his coach. Furthermore, he would like to break a drought: the last time he scored at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was almost five years ago.

 

 

Vincenzo Italiano head coach of Bologna

 

In the current Serie A, Leao has only scored away from home (seven times), but he failed to score against Venezia last Sunday, in a match in which he also disappointed in terms of the performance offered.

 

Tonight in Genoa, in the dress rehearsal for the Coppa Italia final, the motivation will also be greater for Rafa. Since wearing the Rossoneri shirt, he has never had such a high percentage of goals scored away from San Siro: including cups, he is at eight out of eleven.

 

These numbers bode well, especially in view of the match that is worth the second trophy of the season. The positive trend of away goals makes Leao think positively in view of the match in a stadium, the Ferraris, where Rafa wants to end his fast.

 

In the Genovese stadium he has scored only once in his career: in July 2020, during the season broken in two by Covid. On that occasion (a 4-1 victory) he was facing Sampdoria, while he has not scored against Genoa in that ground.

 

la gazzetta dello sport 5 may

Leao also wants double figures for goals in Serie A and he is on seven. Last year he stopped at nine, while in 2022-23 – his best year since he has been in Italy – he reached 15 goals in the league and 16 in all competitions. In 2021-22 he hit 14 in total and 11 in Serie A.

 

These are numbers that are not easy to replicate this season, but still one more reason to think of a great finale; five games to show a true Leao. Maybe to create a series of wins and above all to lift another trophy and achieve qualification for the Europa League.

 

Since he feels like a fixed point for the Milan of the future, he absolutely does not want to go a year without playing in any European competitions. It happened in 2019-20, just after arriving at Milanello, and now he has the ambition to perform consistently on the most important stages.

 

The Champions League would have had a different flavour of course, but playing in the UEL would be better than staying every evening during the week sitting on the sofa at home.

 

 

What fascinates you about the Rossoneri?

 

“Together with Barcelona, Real Madrid and a few others, Milan are among the elite of the most important clubs in the world. It is different to wear this shirt than to wear others. And when Milan comes after you, it is difficult to say no.”

 

Also because Kaka, your idol, played there?

 

“Everyone knows that Kakà was my role model. If only you knew how many videos of him I watched to learn his secrets… If I could ‘steal’ one quality from him, I would want elegance.

 

“In the past I met him in person and it was a great emotion, but since I’ve been in Milan I’ve never met him. Maybe one day he’ll come to one of our matches and I’ll see him again.”

 

In your first match for Milan you scored against Roma in the Coppa Italia with a chip…

 

“I was very happy to have made my debut with a goal at San Siro, in front of our fans. It was a very beautiful moment.”

 

It’s a shame that after that personal (and team) success you haven’t had many more. Sometimes instead of the attacking midfielder role you have also played as a midfielder, like in Empoli…

 

“I always do what is needed for the team. I’m here to give my best, whether I play in defence, midfield or attack. I train to the max and try to be ready when the coach needs me.”

 

Since Milan switched to 3-4-3, you have been used very little. How disappointed are you?

 

“The important thing is that we come from two wins in a row, one of which in the derby. The team is doing well and we want to continue like this until the end to fulfil the dream we all have, which is to win the Coppa Italia. We have confidence and good feelings.”

 

Joao Felix and Sergio Conceicao

 

How is your relationship with Conceiçao?

 

“Good. I knew him before coming here, both as a coach and as a person [Joao is a friend of Sergio’s son, Rodrigo]. Ours is a normal relationship, like that between a coach and a player.”

 

Are you disappointed that fourth place and the consequent qualification for next season’s Champions League are now out of reach?

 

“Yes, because this was the club’s objective. Unfortunately, fourth place is far away and we probably won’t be able to achieve it, but we still have to do our best in the last four round of the season and above all win the Coppa Italia. We all want to finish this season on a high.”

 

Also because by winning the cup in Rome you would qualify for the next Europa League…

 

“It’s a goal we have to reach because Milan has to play in Europe. We all know this well and day after day we are preparing for the final. But without forgetting that there are two more matches before and that we want to do well on Monday in Genoa.”

 

You have already won the Portuguese league title, with Benfica, and the Spanish one, with Atletico Madrid. A trophy in Italy would be nice…

 

“It’s been a few years since I won [since LaLiga in 2020-21] and I would like to experience certain sensations again. It would also be important for the club and for our fans.”

 

What kind of Coppa Italia final do you expect against Bologna?

 

“It’s difficult because we played them in the league and lost 2-1 at their stadium. They play good football and if you leave them space, they can hurt you. We’ll have to prepare well and get to May 14 fully focused.”

 

la gazzetta dello sport 1 may

The Rossoneri fans hope that Leao will be as decisive as he was in the Supercoppa Italiana final in January against Inter…

 

“Rafa is an incredible player, as well as a great guy, a teammate who helps me a lot. It’s important to have someone like him in the team because he’s always positive on and off the pitch. And when he takes on his opponents with the ball at his feet it’s a spectacle.

 

“I knew him from the youth team in Portugal, when we sometimes played against each other, and then from the call-ups to the national team: he continues to grow and improve.”

 

You met Theo Hernandez at Milan…

 

“In person, yes, but I had seen him on TV. What a left foot he has… He is a fantastic person and I get along well with him off the pitch too. In general, however, I am happy with the group I found at Milan: I was welcomed well in the dressing room and everyone helped me from day one.”

 

What is it like to live in Milan?

 

“Truly incredible. I had only been there once before, but now that I have a house, I am starting to get to know the city. I go for walks with my family, my friends and my dog.

 

“I am learning about Italian culture and I also appreciate your cuisine, always paying attention to the instructions of the coaching staff.”

 

 

Mateo Retegui could have ended up at AC Milan instead of Atalanta last summer, according to a report, as the league’s top

scorer was offered to the Rossoneri before the Bergamo side.

 

According to Luca Bianchin of Gazzetta dello Sport, today’s clash between AC Milan and Atalanta is special for many reasons. One of them, which inevitably will frustrate the fans, is the fact that La Dea’s striker Retegui could have joined the Rossoneri instead last summer.

 

Before an agreement was struck between Genoa and Atalanta, Retegui was offered to Milan’s management, who opted to sign Alvaro Morata instead. At the time, the 25-year-old had a price tag of around €20-25m, eventually joining the Bergamo side for €22m plus bonuses.

 

Geoffrey Moncada and Co. deemed that Retegui hadn’t done enough with Genoa to show his qualities, scoring just seven goals in 29 league appearances. For Atalanta, however, he was the perfect signing as Gian Piero Gasperini knows a thing or two about revitalising players with potential.

 

Almost a year later, Retegui has scored 23 goals in the league and could equal Pippo Inzaghi’s record with Atalanta tonight, with just one more goal needed. It remains to be seen if Milan’s regrets will become even more evident tonight, or if they will be able to contain the striker.

 

 

Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa is attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window, and AC Milan are among the teams keen.

 

According to what sources have told our colleagues at CaughtOffside, Chiesa is ’emerging as a target for AC Milan’ along with three Premier League clubs that at the moment remain unnamed. He was also a target for Napoli during the winter window, but rejected them.

 

A possible move back to Serie A ‘could be an option’ for Chiesa given that the 27-year-old is struggling for minutes under Arne Slot following his move to Anfield from Juventus. The winger was ‘keen to give his time at Liverpool more of a chance’, but now is aware things are ‘just not working out’.

 

Going back to Italy would ‘make the most sense for Chiesa’ as per the report, but staying in the Premier League could be an option too given the interest from English sides. CaughtOffside add that Liverpool ‘would likely ask for a fee in the region of €25-30m’ to sell.

 

Having found himself behind Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, there ‘certainly seems little need to keep hold of Chiesa’. Nonetheless, he is likely to pick up a Premier League winners medal at the end of the current campaign.

 

It would be a move that stacks up with Milan’s reported mission to bring more Italian influence into the squad, including players who know the league well.

 

 

 

Igli Tare is currently the frontrunner in the race to become AC Milan’s new sporting director, as his work at Lazio seems to have impressed the leadership.

 

According to Calciomercato.com, a meeting took place between Tare and CEO Giorgio Furlani yesterday in Rome. It was a long discussion in the capital in which a number of topics were spoken about, including naturally the plans for the mercato.

 

Speaking of which, Tare’s body of work at Lazio is largely impressive. He was a director at the Biancoceleste from July 2008 to June 2023, in an adventure that lasted 18 years (including the seasons as a player at the end of his career).

 

There are 10 signings that he made which can be considered the moves of a visionary, starting with the arrival of Hernandes from Sao Paulo for €13.5m. The attacking midfielder would go on to make 156 appearances for Lazio, scoring 41 goals and adding 23 assists.

 

Miroslav Klose was rather remarkable signed on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, and he would net 63 times in 171 games for them, with 35 assists. Senad Lulic had a long career and became a real leader for the Aquile, joining from BSC Young Boys for only €3m.

 

Antonio Candreva joined Lazio on an initial loan from Udinese which was made into a permanent deal for €9m. He would go on to make 192 appearances for the club from the capital, with 45 goals and 42 assists an impressive return.

 

Felipe Anderson moved from Santos to Lazio for €7.5m and was sold to West Ham for a €30m capital gain before being brought back to the club on favourable terms. The Brazilian winger has 58 goals and 63 assists in 326 games for Lazio.

 

Another success story was Stefan De Vrij, who signed from Feyenoord for just €7m. He became one of the most solid central defenders in Serie A before moving to Inter on a free transfer, where he still remains.

 

Heading towards the end of his career, Tare took a punt on Lucas Leiva, bringing him in from Liverpool for just €5.5m. Playing at the base of the midfield, he would go on to play 198 times for Lazio, a fantastic return on a small investment.

 

tare ibrahimovic cardinale

 

The final three need little introduction. Firstly there is Sergey Milinkovic-Savic: bought for €12m from Partizan Belgrade, he reached a maximum market value of €90m, amassing 69 goals and 58 assists for the Biancocelesti.

 

Luis Alberto cost only €4m to sign from Liverpool and he was worth €55m at one point. The Spaniard was regularly linked with a move to Milan, and he racked up an excellent 52 goals and 79 assists for Lazio.

 

Finally, Ciro Immobile: bought for €8.5m, he reached a maximum market value of €50m, being sold to Borussia Dortmund. He then came back like Felipe Anderson on favourable terms and is on 207 goals for Lazio, their top scorer ever.

 

Rafael Leao is always one of the most talked about AC Milan players especially with regards to a potential move, but he has already decided his future.

 

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) report this morning, Leao scored a goal and added an assist in the 4-0 rout of Udinese to send a message to Milan, for the present and for the future. Regardless of who will be the sporting director and head coach, he wished to remain.

 

In the meantime, however, he aims to be a protagonist with his plays to drag the team to victory of the second trophy of 2024-25, the Coppa Italia, and to keep the Rossoneri in Europe next season as well.

 

Ups and downs

Since wearing the Milan shirt, Leao had never encountered as many difficulties as he did this season. First Paulo Fonseca and then Sergio Conceiçao questioned his centrality in the project, something that hadn’t happened with Pioli on the bench.

 

Those close to Rafa say that he didn’t like this role, no longer the absolute protagonist, but at the same time the new situation for him forced him to mature. To put himself even more on the line, to find a way to overcome the difficulties, to be decisive even when coming off the bench.

 

Now the 25-year-old from Almada is certainly a more complete player, stronger mentally, more of a driving force for his teammates who, for example, imitate his surfer-style celebration (both Reijnders and Fofana did it in Udine).

 

The choice of Conceiçao, who launched the 3-4-3 on Friday, takes away some of his responsibility in the coverage phase. This undoubtedly makes him happy in view of the season finale in which he aims to improve his statistics, but above all to give more victories to his teammates and fans.

 

 

Tottenham Hotspur Director of Football, Fabio Paratici

Better on the road

In Udine, Leao scored his seventh goal in the league and the peculiarity is that so far he has not managed to score in Serie A at San Siro. In the league his last goal at the Meazza dates back to the 3-3 against Salernitana on 25 May 2024.

 

It is too long for a player with such quality, for someone so important to the team. Riding the wave of enthusiasm for the performance at the Bluenergy Stadium he would also like to leave his mark against Atalanta to continue the chase for a place in Europe, and in view of the cup second leg.

 

Against two teams that are above them in the standings, the Diavolo will play for the remaining chances of experiencing sweet end to a bitter campaign. The No.10 knows very well that he must play an important part, because of his status and for his future.

 

Choice already made

The moment of choices in view of 2025-26 is in fact approaching. Before the weekend, probably either today or tomorrow, the Giorgio Furlani will meet Igli Tare, currently the strong candidate for the role of sporting director.

 

It is likely that a single summit will not be enough to reach handshakes and that in the meantime the CEO will also meet other aspirants to the role, who in any case have less chance than the Albanian.

 

Then the coach will come, with Max Allegri the frontrunner given he knows Milan well, has six Scudetti and many other trophies on his CV and he is someone Tare likes a lot. Either way, the two new figures will have Leao to build around.

 

 

The winger’s name has been linked with Barcelona for at least a couple of years, but after the renewal – with a release clause of €175m – no one has ever tried a convincing approach. The most tempting offer came from Saudi Arabia, but the player didn’t take it into consideration because he’s happy.

 

His messages on social media, even in recent days, confirm this. He sees himself as a Rossoneri player next season too, whoever the coach is. He wants to convince him to give him back an undisputed starting role that he didn’t have in 2024-25.

 

The same one he intends to keep, with goals and assists, in this final part of the season. He’s already done enough on the bench. His future imagines him on the pitch smiling and surfing after a goal. Maybe at San Siro.

 

 

AC Milan captain Mike Maignan has been released from hospital following a clash of heads with team-mate Alex Jimenez during Friday’s 4-0 Serie A win at Udinese.

 

France goalkeeper Maignan appeared to be knocked unconscious in the 51st-minute incident but, after undergoing treatment on the pitch, was fully conscious when he was carried off on a stretcher.

 

Defender Jimenez was substituted in the 72nd minute.

 

Milan told BBC Sport that Maignan was monitored at hospital as a “precaution” but was discharged on Saturday morning.

 

Milan players showed immediate concern after the collision, but defender Matteo Gabbia said after the game: “Fortunately, Mike is fine. We all asked the doctor how he was, and he reassured us by telling us that he’s in the hospital for tests, but he’s doing OK. He’s a great captain.”

 

Milan manager Sergio Conceicao praised the home fans for the support they showed Maignan, cheering as he was carried off the pitch.

 

“It impressed me. The player on the ground, the chaos around him… I have to compliment the Udinese fans,” Conceicao told Sky Sports.

 

Maignan was a victim of racial abuse by home fans the last time Milan played at Udinese in January 2024.

 

He and his team-mates left the pitch for 10 minutes after reporting the abuse to the referee, and Serie A later ordered Udinese to play a match behind closed doors as punishment.

 

“The player is one thing, and the man is another,” Conceicao said. “They can boo the player, but not the man.

 

“That applause was an incredible gesture. In 40 years of football I have seen few gestures like that.”

 

Rafael Leao and Strahinja Pavlovic scored for Milan in the first half and Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders in the final 15 minutes of the game.

 

Milan host Atalanta in the league on 20 April and face rivals Inter Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on 23 April, with the tie level at 1-1.

 

AC Milan boosted their confidence with a big 4-0 win against Udinese on Friday evening. As always, we have collected five things that we learned from the Rossoneri’s performance.

 

After the 2-2 draw against Fiorentina, a response was needed from Sergio Conceicao’s men and that is certainly what we got. With two goals in each half, the Rossoneri comfortably clinched all three points and thus boosted their confidence.

 

With the Coppa Italia still alive, keeping up morale is essential and yesterday’s win will certainly help in that sense. Not to mention that Atalanta are up next, so optimism is needed for that one. Below, we share five things that we learned from the game.

 

1. Formation change long overdue

It’s been said so many times today already, but we have to highlight the formation change. Three men at the back worked like a charm for Milan as we finally saw a balanced team, and it’s clear that nearly all players benefited from the switch.

 

The centre-backs have all done well this season, as crazy as that sounds given the numbers, so the fact that Conceicao was able to field three of them helped. Strahinja Pavlovic thrived with his role to the left, while Fikayo Tomori and Matteo Gabbia got the job done without any fuss.

 

Furthermore, Theo Hernandez and Alex Jimenez were both able to push a little bit higher and utilise their attacking skills, focusing less on the defending. It might be the case that Udinese were the perfect opponents for this formation, but it would definitely be interesting to see more of it.

 

2. Theao responds in style

It has been a season filled with ups and downs for the key duo, consisting of Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao. Yesterday was certainly one of the better nights, with both of them getting on the scoresheet while also combining really well throughout the game.

 

Leao was named the MOTM by the newspapers this morning, while Hernandez was the second best, and it’s clear that Milan can get positive results with them in good form. The problem, as has been said so many times before this season, is that we still need to see some consistency.

 

One performance won’t change the overall situation, but rather it only makes us more painfully aware of how good they can be when they turn up. In that sense, the upcoming games against Atalanta and Inter will tell us a lot.

 

3. Strikers remain in good form

Luka Jovic got the chance from start last night and while he didn’t score, or provide an assist for that matter, his contribution was clear. With the new formation, he often found himself dropping down and that allowed Leao and Pulisic to take on more key roles in the centre.

 

 

The Serbian was very composed on the ball and Conceicao highlighted his importance after the game, even if it wasn’t spectacular. Then, Tammy Abraham entered the pitch and provided an assist almost immediately, before playing a key role in the fourth goal.

 

In short, while the performances were very different, Jovic and Abraham both continued their good run of form in the win and that was very nice to see. Especially with such important games coming up.

 

4. Decisive when it matters

You might look at yesterday’s game and say that for most of the play, Christian Pulisic wasn’t super involved. However, when it mattered the most (once again), he provided the assist for Pavlovic with a lovely corner.

 

Okay, it might be harsh to say that he wasn’t super involved, but if you compare it with Leao or Hernandez, that was kind of the case. Still, it doesn’t really matter as the American opened up space for his teammates and when he did get the ball, he did good things.

 

On a slightly similar note, Tijjani Reijnders missed a big chance at the start of the game but instead of letting it bring him down, he responded with several good actions. The goal was an easy one, let’s be honest, yet it was deserved given what he added to the game. And it also helped him reach an important milestone.

 

5. A win that builds confidence, not much more

At the end of the day, while it was nice to celebrate a big win again, it doesn’t matter to much for the league standings. Milan still have a mountain to climb for the European spots and will remain in 9th place after this round as well.

 

Milan players celebrate udinese

 

Having said that, building confidence is important especially in view of the Inter game, so we certainly cannot say that the win was pointless. Who knows, some of the rivals might slip up in the next few weeks, which could bring some life back to the league

 

The return leg against Inter is also scheduled for April 23rd, so we will soon have our answer with regards to the Coppa Italia anyway. The clash against Atalanta is the only one before then so getting another win there would definitely boost the confidence even more.