This is an excerpt from Rafael Leão’s interview in Champions Journal. Check out  issue 17 to read the full story.

INTERVIEW Caroline De Moraes ‍

WORDS Sheridan Bird

Aspiring musicians heading to the big city in search of fame is a classic, universal tale. In Italy, those bright- eyed dreamers flock to Milan, the nation’s capital of sounds enticing hopefuls to its concert venues, record labels and radio stations. However, one musical artist ventured to the Lombardy metropolis for a very different reason. Rafael Leão’s day job is tearing down the left wing for AC Milan, but in his spare time he is the rapper known as WAY 45.

Spotify pegs the 24-year-old’s monthly listener total at over 23,000, with his fans based mostly in Lisbon, Milan and his father’s native Angola. His gallery of publicity photos features the obligatory chunky watches and necklaces, flashy vehicles and expensive clothes, but Rafael Leão was not drawn to the scene to bolster his image. Instead, he says, his passion is rooted in his DNA. “My love for music runs in the family because my father was a singer and my uncle was a DJ. Most of my free time revolves around music and it has become my companion – [especially] an African genre called semba, from Angola.”

Even so, it took the global pandemic three years ago to prompt the Portuguese international into taking his interest that extra step further. “My love for music, as well as for making music, emerged during lockdown as we had to stay at home for a month. Because I had nothing to do, I decided to give it a go and I’ve been doing it ever since.” He now has his own home studio and, in addition to keeping him busy, crafting songs has also proved therapeutic.

“WAY 45 conveys Rafael Leão as a person, not as a football player. He talks about his feelings, his life story and lessons, for the most part, connecting them. Of course, I’m a football player – that’s my main job – but I try to motivate people not to give up on their dream, whether that’s to become a football player, a doctor, or whatever you want to do in the future.”