We’re all more than aware by now that sometimes, Man of the Match awards or anything similar can be something of a farce and it seems that played out in Newcastle’s clash with AC Milan this week.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who cover AC Milan’s Rafael Leao today and his somewhat telling response to being handed the UEFA MVP award for this week’s Champions League clash.
Newcastle took on last year’s semi finalists in Milan earlier this week to kick off their Champions League campaign.
The game ended 0-0, a fortunate result for Eddie Howe’s side, who were second best throughout and fortunate not to be on the end of a hammering.
The fact they weren’t was largely down to AC Milan’s wastefulness in front of goal, the Italians spurning several big chances to open the scoring and secure all three points.
Leao was one of those who wasn’t quite at his clinical best, which made the announcement after the game that he had been awarded man of the match by UEFA something of a surprise.
“Me?” Gazzetta report him responding when handed the award, in a response that ‘sounded like a mockery’ according to the newspaper.
They say the Portuguese ‘didn’t want to collect it’ knowing full well that his performance in Newcastle had not been up to scratch and he ‘didn’t deserve it’.
He, though, was ‘trapped by protocol obligations’ and even had to have his photo taken with the statuette, which they say won’t be going on display in his living room anytime soon.
It seems he, like the rest of us, weren’t particularly impressed with the game and would rather forget it as quickly as possible, something UEFA have made slightly more difficult.
