Fonseca explains Leao absence after Napoli loss: ‘I don’t need to beg’

Milan coach Paulo Fonseca has given his reasoning for benching Rafael Leao for the second Serie A match in a row, and explained how he thinks it can motivate the Portugal international following Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss at home to Napoli.

Fonseca decided not to include Leao in his starting line-up, instead handing an opportunity to Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze on the wings. There was also no Christian Pulisic in the starting XI, as he was battling a bout of flu.

Fonseca explains Leao absence and ‘motivation’

Fonseca explained that he uses a number of different tactics to motivate his players, but at the end of the day, it is their own responsibility to make sure they are in the right frame of mind to play.

He also insisted that there is no direct confrontation between himself and the player, despite the fact that he has left him out of the starting line-up for two league matches on the spin.

“I don’t want to go into tiny details, I handle things differently with each player,” Fonseca said during his post-match press conference after Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Napoli.

“There is no conflict between us, it’s just a coach’s decision. We try to motivate the players in different ways, but it’s up to the players to put in the right amount of dedication, I don’t have to beg them.”