Rafael Leao hits back with the Bible following row with Christian Pulisic and furious response to being substituted in AC Milan defeat

The toxic fallout from the Rossoneri's recent 1-0 loss in Serie A has taken a spiritual turn. Taking to Instagram in the wake of the match, Leao delivered a pointed message to his critics. The number 10 shared a story featuring a translated verse from the Gospel of Luke, attributing the words to Jesus. He wrote: "Do what is in your power. The impossible is my job."

The cryptic social media post comes in the wake of reports of a significant breakdown in relations within the camp. Tensions reached boiling point in the Italian capital, where Leao and Pulisic were at the centre of a brewing storm that carried on after the final whistle. The friction was highly visible on the pitch, with the Portuguese forward repeatedly gesturing in frustration at his American teammate over missed passes. The drama reportedly escalated behind closed doors, with the two primary attackers engaging in a heated, livelier-than-usual exchange in the changing room as they demanded answers from one another regarding their tactical positioning.

Head coach Massimiliano Allegri now finds himself navigating incredibly difficult waters as he attempts to manage the egos of his star players. He had to intervene personally in the changing room to prevent the confrontation from spiralling completely out of control, it was reported. Publicly attempting to downplay the rift while acknowledging missed opportunities, Allegri stated: "When you lose games, with hindsight you find many things. I believe that Pulisic is growing in terms of condition, while Leao had two or three solutions in which he would have found himself in front of the goalkeeper." 

Earlier, the winger even snubbed an embrace from his manager twice before kicking a cooler bag.

The damaging 1-0 defeat has made their Serie A title task significantly harder. They currently sit on 60 points, trailing league leaders Inter, who boast 68 points, with only nine matches remaining until the end of the campaign. Their next match is against a Torino side sitting 14th in the Italian top-flight.