Costacurta: ‘Leao has never been a leader, Milan aren’t losing a Kaka or Shevchenko’

Alessandro Costacurta feels that it is wrong to consider Rafael Leao a ‘leader’ of Milan, but has criticised the Portugal international for his inconsistency, claiming that he has ‘never been a champion like that, even if he thinks he is’.

Leao is among the star players in line to leave Milan after a dismal end to the 2025-26 season, which saw the Rossoneri miss out on Champions League qualification despite the fact that they had spent a large chunk of the campaign in second place.

Leao has recently given a series of interviews while away on international duty with Portugal, hinting rather heavy-handedly that his time in San Siro has come to an end: ‘I need a new challenge, I think the Premier League or LaLiga would make more of my talent,” he recently told Sport TV in Portugal.

Speaking in a critical, in-depth interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Costacurta claimed that it is wrong to consider Leao a true leader of Milan, but criticised his inconsistency and insists that he is not a Ballon d’Or level player, ‘even if he thinks he is’.

“Personally, I’ve never considered him a Ballon d’Or level player,” said Costacurta. “I played with some of those: They are at an entirely different level. If he leaves, you’re not losing a Kaka or a Shevchenko. Rafa has never been a champion like that, even if he thinks he is.

“If he changes his mind, and if the real leaders come in and he is given a different role, he could also still be useful in the right context. But he has to be seen for what he is: A very good player, not the star of the team.”