FABIO CAPELLO’S VERDICT: "IF AC MILAN BEAT ROMA, THEY MUST AIM FOR THE SCUDETTO."
Fabio Capello warns AC Milan that, despite their 20-game unbeaten run, they need more "game-changers" to beat Inter to the Scudetto.
Fabio Capello says AC Milan are missing a game-changer like Lautaro Martinez, but if they beat Roma, they should set their sights on the title.
Milan started the 2025-26 season with Massimiliano Allegri back in charge, and after last year’s eighth-place finish, everyone just wanted Champions League football again. So far, they’re doing well—they’ve already built a seven-point gap over fifth place.
But fans aren’t just thinking about fourth anymore. The Rossoneri are only three points off the top, and they haven’t lost in 20 games. That sort of streak hasn’t happened for decades, so now people are starting to believe the Scudetto isn’t out of reach.
Capello talked to La Gazzetta dello Sport about Milan’s title chances, their strikers, and more.
Allegri keeps saying the goal is just top four…
“That’s just Max being Max. He’s too smart to go around shouting about the scudetto. When you climb this high, if you fall, it hurts more. So he keeps his head down, talks about numbers, and keeps everyone grounded.”
Allegri has now gone 20 league games unbeaten after beating Lecce…
“That’s a huge achievement, and it’s down to his work with the team’s mentality. Milan’s got a strong spirit now—you can see it in the way they come back, even when they’re not playing well or are behind.
“Max has put in a lot of effort there, and the only loss in their last 21 games was that opener against Cremonese. That speaks for itself.”
Against Lecce, Milan dominated the second half: 13 shots to 2, 71% possession. Did the criticism after the Como match help?
“No, trust me, Allegri hears the talk, but he knows the team needs to play better. Look at the first half against Lecce—they weren’t great.
“They moved the ball too slowly, the midfielders couldn’t keep up, and half the time, there was just one Milan player up against three Lecce defenders in the box. That’s not the way to score goals.”
Is that because Pulisic and Leao aren’t true centre-forwards?
“Exactly. They’re attackers who like to drift around, drop deep, or pull wide to create something. Pulisic is a bit better at getting into the box, but Leao’s only just learning. Neither of them is Lautaro—you can tell.”
Leao hasn’t looked like himself lately…
“It was obvious. He couldn’t shift gears. Even when he had space to run, he just matched his defender’s speed. That’s not the Leao we know.”
Then Allegri brought in Füllkrug…
“A real number nine. He senses the tiniest defensive mistake and takes advantage, just like he did for the goal. But honestly, the real spark was Rabiot again. He raised his level in the second half.”
Will we see Milan play with a front three soon?
“That all comes down to who’s fit and available. With five subs now, you can switch things up during the game. And with someone as sharp as Max on the bench, it’s even easier to change the setup on the fly.”
There was a moment, with the score still stuck at 0-0, when Milan lined up with three central defenders. Lecce didn’t even have a proper striker on the field. Isn’t that a bit much?
Allegri said he wanted the two wing-backs to handle preventive marking and ramp up the pressure. Honestly, it’s about time. Milan has this habit of dropping back and letting teams crowd their penalty area, especially against sides they should be bossing. Sometimes you have to push forward and defend by pressing, not just by sitting deep.
Some of the backups looked better against Lecce. Has Jashari finally convinced you?
Yeah, he did better than he has in his last few games. But you know what? As soon as Modric came on, you could just see the difference. That long ball he played to Nkunku was unreal. No comparison.
Modric’s definitely starting on Sunday against Roma, right?
The away games in Rome and then Bologna will really show us what Milan’s made of, especially since Inter gets to play Pisa and Cremonese. If Milan slips up, they risk falling behind. That’s why these matches matter so much—they’ve got to keep pace and stay right in it.
And against Gasperini, it should feel like a Champions League clash. Roma’s attack is scarier now with Malen. Still, if Milan manages to win in Rome, it’ll be hard to pretend they’re not in the Scudetto race.
Roma and Bologna both face Milan after their European matches, while Inter, Napoli, and Juventus are busy too…
Not having to worry about Europe is a real bonus for Allegri. But Inter needs to drop points here and there; otherwise, catching them is a tall order. Chivu, though, has already got plenty in the bank.
RADJA NAINGGOLAN SLAMS NAPOLI’S SCOTT MCTOMINAY AS "JUST AVERAGE" IN TV RANT
Radja Nainggolan has sparked controversy by calling Napoli's Scudetto winner Scott McTominay "average" in a scathing TV interview.
Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".
After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”
And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”
Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.
Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.
MANCHESTER UNITED AND CHELSEA ENTER RACE FOR DISCOUNTED €50M-RATED RAFAEL LEãO
Discover why Rafael Leão’s value has plummeted at AC Milan and which Premier League clubs are leading the race to sign him.
Just a year ago, everyone was buzzing about Rafael Leao and his rumoured €120 million move to Chelsea. Fast forward to this summer’s transfer window, and it looks like AC Milan’s ready to let him go for nowhere near that amount. Manchester United, along with a few others, are circling, hoping to get him for much less.
Last week, Gazzetta dello Sport broke the news: Milan now values Leao at just €50 million. That’s a wild drop, especially since six months ago they slapped a €100 million price tag on him.
So what happened? Why did his value tank so quickly?
Perception plays a big part. Leao’s estimated transfer value hasn’t actually changed that much. FootballTransfers’ algorithm had him pegged at €72.5 million last July, and now he’s at €70.7 million. But Milan’s own estimate? That’s fallen off a cliff.
Last summer, Milan wanted €50 million above the algorithm’s number. Now, they’re ready to accept an offer that’s €20 million below it.
Leao once had everything going for him in Milan. In the 2021/22 season, he carried them to the Scudetto, racking up 11 goals and 10 assists. Clubs were fighting over him, and in 2023, Milan rewarded him with a hefty €7 million salary and a massive €175 million release clause. That’s when top European clubs started sniffing around for a record-breaking deal.
But the new contract didn’t spark another big season for Leao. In his next campaign, he scored 15 goals and managed 14 assists, but fans started to turn, especially after two weak outings against Roma in the Europa League.
Things haven’t improved since. Early in the 2024/25 season, Milan benched him for disciplinary reasons, and he seemed pretty unfazed, something that sparked more criticism. He’s had some public clashes with head coach Max Allegri, too. Despite still being Milan’s top scorer, he hasn’t scored in two months. And the fans? They’ve booed him at home games, most recently against Juventus and earlier against Udinese.
Now, Milan looks ready to move on. Leao’s raw talent is still obvious, but at San Siro, the excitement has faded. SciSports, the data analytics folks, show his performance is in “significant decline” based on their SciSkill rating. Still, they think he can bounce back.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan plans to hold off until the World Cup, hoping Leao puts on a big show for Portugal and builds hype again.
He’s still got admirers. Arsenal’s been keeping tabs on him, FootballTransfers said back in February. Chelsea, Liverpool, and United are all in the market for a left-sided attacker and would jump at the chance to grab a rejuvenated Leao.
Sure, the €120 million rumours are a thing of the past. But the old Leão, the top-class player, is still in there somewhere. He just needs the right club, coach, and a fresh start.
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