Why Milan star Leao owes Sporting CP millions
Milan are still working on tying the star forward Raphael Leao to a new contract and a key part of the talks is his debt to Sporting CP.
The portGuese Forward is a product of Sporting’s youth system and broke into their first team in the 2017-18 season, quickly making a name for themselves. With injuries limiting his opportunities this campaign, a goal in a 2-1 loss to Porto saw him grab the attention of all of Europe.
At the end of that season, says Gianluca Di Marzio, Sporting failed to qualify for the Champions League, which infuriated their fans. About 50 hooded ultras burst into their training center and attacked the coach Jorge Jesus, his staff and the first team. Leao, like many of his teammates, unilaterally terminated his contract with Sporting after this incident.
Lille took advantage of the situation and snatched a free transfer from him. A year later, he was sold to Milan for around 30 million euros.
Sporting were furious with the situation and took their former players to court. The Court of Arbitration sided portguese held and ruled that Leao should pay the club €16.5m for his conduct. The winger tried to appeal but it was denied, upholding the initial verdict.
This debt to Sporting has become a major factor in contract renewal talks, with Leao hoping to get help from the club to pay the fee. The Rossoneri have offered him a lucrative contract, worth around €6m net per season, and currently appear set to sign the deal.