Rafael Leão insists punch was to protect teammate, not to injure

Portugal forward Rafael Leão has spoken out after receiving a red card in Saturday's World Cup warm-up fixture against Chile. The AC Milan star was sent off for punching Chile defender Iván Román in the face, but insists his action was purely defensive. Leão explained that he felt Román was about to harm a teammate, prompting a split-second reaction without malicious intent. The incident occurred during a heated group stage rehearsal match, leaving Portugal to reassess their lineup ahead of the...