Paolo Di Canio, a former footballer who played for Milan among other clubs and now works as a pundit, also spoke on the sidelines of the Legends Trophy, a padel event for former footballers taking place today in Milan. Below are his comments to the press, as reported by Milan News:Any thoughts on Milan’s league campaign? Can they win it?“Milan are doing well, I’d say. You have to compare it with last year: they’ve been fighting for the top spots all year. And then, you know, with eight games to go and six points behind… Max Allegri always says he looks over his shoulder because he has to secure a minimum position, and that’s only right for a club like Milan: he accepted this challenge of finishing in the top four; you can’t see Milan out of the Champions League next year. But knowing Max, he’s right there, and we’ll see what happens in a few matchdays: the next game will say a lot; it’s a direct clash because Napoli have closed the gap too. With Inter in this state, I think it’s fair to hope and aim high."Is Leao still Milan’s striker of the future?"In Italy, if we want to grow, we need to look not to England – which is a different world – but to Spain and Germany, where there isn’t a single player over whom public opinion is constantly divided: ‘yes, but if he did this…’, ‘yes, but he has scored his goals…’. A single ‘but’ in football that matters is already too much. With Leao, you always use five or six: that’s not acceptable. Only in Italy are we getting used to it, perhaps because we have little talent, to accepting or putting up with it. If Milan want to build a world-class team and environment, you can’t have a player where you don’t know how he gets up in the morning or how he turns up. How much does he cost? 1 euro? Oh well, let’s give it a go. 8 million? Do I have to renew his contract? I’m just saying; I’m not a Milan director and it’s their business"You know Tare..."You saw the behaviour at the Olimpico; it seems clear to me what Tare was saying as Leao was coming off: because for a serious executive who has played football, been involved in the game, built Lazio as he has, and got the team performing well with players signed at very reasonable prices – and who wants to restore Milan to its former glory – behaviour like that simply doesn’t exist. It’s understandable for a player to get a bit fed up for a moment because he cares deeply at that moment: the problem is the overall conduct over time of a player who had all the potential. He’s 27… If you were stronger at 21 than at 27… Goals matter when, in the same league, the difference is clear with or without Leao, when he’s there. Without him, Milan score more goals and are more solid: 21 goals scored, 8 wins and 3 conceded.”Do you know Leao will be angry at these words?"I don’t care, I’m here to say what I think: he’s not my brother or my cousin. I’ve taken a lot of criticism myself, it’s not that I’ve got it in for him. I say that lots of other players are really strong and very good: Yildiz is reliable and serious, on track to become a champion. I’m talking about the big picture, not the local pitch: at Bar Corallo in Quarticciolo you say that lad’s good but let him play, the others aren’t any good...”But Leao isn’t a centre-forward..."He's a striker. It's certainly better for him to play up front because he scores more while doing less: in Italy it's easy – a long ball forward and, sooner or later, with defences that aren't all that solid, you'll find a chance. The problem is what you produce during the match beyond your goal. If I had a player, even a lacklustre one, who scored three goals a game, I’d accept him: but Milan can’t afford that, not least to build a philosophy not just on the pitch but also in the attitude shown in training. That’s what I saw in the last match. Apart from the team play when Rabiot scores, there are five or six players sharing the space, with Fofana acting as an extra striker and then dropping back when the ball reaches Athekame; then Modric comes in, playing it through to Pulisic, who sends it to the far post for Rabiot, who scores after crossing from the other side. There’s a team-based style of play because they know everyone will be rewarded for playing for others. And when Rabiot scored, Modric and the others went to Pulisic, who provided the assist: they rewarded their teammate. That’s teamwork, unity of purpose, caring for and respecting one another. Having said that, it’s not that I’ve got it in for Leao. I’m also fed up with Leao: 1.88m tall, great pace, technical ability geared towards serving the team... But so often you find yourself asking, ‘What on earth is he thinking?’, in the recording studio where he’s supposed to be singing? He’s thinking about other things. It strikes me that, because he’s talented, football is just a matter of course for him, that he turns up at the ground just to play: but the real fun is in the recording studio and parading around bare-chested, like he did a month ago in winter. Back in the day, if you spent a whole day in winter bare-chested... He can get away with it because he has a wonderful physique, but I ask: is that acceptable at a professional level? Apart from photo shoots to promote brands, that’s fine: but an entire fashion show parading around bare-chested? The approach to young players has changed, but discipline and the rules cannot be changed: those must be respected; the rules are the same. If you want to build Atlético Madrid: go to Simeone, have you heard what he said about Lookman? If he wants to play for us, he has to run more, know how to defend for the team, otherwise he won’t play here."How can Milan sell Leao?“You’re asking me? How should I know? I’m not Tare or any of the others. I’m not saying he has to leave. Maybe he’ll turn things around in one fell swoop, and I’d be the first to admit I thought he’d never change, and I’d relish seeing this talent at its very best.”