Kaka on his Milan career, being a role model, Mastour and more

RICARDO KAKA has spoken about pretty much everything that is related to his love story with the red and black club.

Kaka has confirmed this week that he will stay at Milan for another season and will see out his contract. Ricky returned this past September after a few unsuccessful years at Real Madrid and many fans are still in love with the Brazilian superstar.

Kaka has scored 9 goals and made 5 assists this year and while he’s not the player he was in 2007 when he won the Ballon d’Or, he’s an important piece of Clarence Seedorf’s team and he’ll play from the start on Sunday against Sassuolo.

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Speaking to the Milan Channel today, Kaka spoke about several topics: “I met Claudio Lippi a couple of times when we were playing in America and he always used to ask me if I still played that video game that we used to play together, Mario Kart. He was terrible at it and we used to tease him when we played away from home. I was sorry to hear about his passing (he passed away last March).

“My return? I get upset when asked about possible transfers. It’s normal to talk about the future but it also creates anxiety and it’s not enough to say that I’m staying. There have always been a lot of rumors about me and I’ve been ‘sold’ many times over: to Turkey, to Milan, to Brazil. It’s creates anxiety. The only time it was true was in January 2013 but then the club got Mario Balotelli. Adriano Galliani and Florentino Perez spoke about it but there were financial problems at the time.

“My arrival in 2003? Leonardo called me and said that the club were interested. I finished the season with San Paolo and then Milan won the Champions League. Leonardo called me again and said it would be tough for me to come straight to Milan. After that I went with the national team and then I spoke with Leonardo and Ariedo Braida. They told me that they already had Manuel Rui Costa and Rivaldo so I’d have to go on loan to Paris first, but then they changed their minds and I came straight here. Ariedo Braida was very important in bringing me here,” continued the 32-year-old attacking midfielder who can also be a second striker.

“Rui Costa? He was always well-behaved, he was very honest with me and was one of the players that helped me the most. I learned a lot from him since he gave me some suggestions. On Wednesday (Europa League final) my thoughts were with him when Benfica lost the final (to Sevilla). The Champions League final? I have many friends at Atletico Madrid but I’ll be cheering for Real in the final because I played there and Ancelotti deserves the win (the final is next Saturday, May 24th).

“Casa Milan? I went to the club HQ Casa Milan today and gave them my Ballon d’Or and it’ll be kept in the club museum Mondo Milan, that way the fans can go and take a selfie with it. It’ll be there for a while. Winning the Ballon d’Or in 2007? That day is unforgettable. Knowing that the Milan Channel dedicated a day to me when I won that trophy was very special and I will always thank them. I have great memories with this day, like when I came out from the balcony at the Piazaa Duomo. I always dreamt of playing at one of the big clubs in Europe and leaving the San Paolo to come here was fantastic.

“The defeat to Atalanta? We lost a big chance to get into the Europa League when we lost against Atalanta but it was the first half of the season when we let ourselves down and lost too many points. Hitting the crossbar in the derby against Inter? It’s a shame. It would have been nice to score another goal in the derby but since we won there’s less bitterness about it.

“My Milan career? I’ve had my best years here. I’ve always had a great relationship with the club and with the fans. I have never regretted returning to Milan. I’m sorry that I don’t get a chance to go to the World Cup but I’m not sad because I did everything I could. I’ve played a lot this season while at Real Madrid I almost never played three of four games in a row. The year of 2007? In that season I learned that in times of difficulty we see the character of the team. We had to win against Bayern Munich and it wasn’t easy; we also had to beat United at San Siro. The joy of scoring against Celtic was fantastic.

“My role? I believe my best position is behind the front two. My favourite goal? The goal against Manchester United was my favorite, it was an important goal and it’s emotional to watch it again. We played a great game and the team really performed well Milan’s future? We’ve to start again from the club’s history, the values. I think we’ll have to start off from there.

“The youngsters at Milan? I’m happy that I’m a role model for the youngsters. I hope to convey my experience to them. When I came here there were many champions and I trained with the likes of Paolo Maldini, Billy Costacurta, Andriy Shevchenko and Clarence Seedorf. They were important. I want to convey the same things that I’ve learned to the youngsters; not only with words but I also with my attitude. They have to understand what it means to wear the Milan shirt.

“Stephan El Shaarawy? Having such a season is never year but I see him well now. Hopefully he’ll score. Hachim Mastour? Mastour is technically very good. He’s a true talent and you can see that he has something special. We must be patient with Mastour and make sure that he settles in well. It’s different to play in the first team. Mario Balotelli? I think Balotelli is maturing a lot and that’s important for him and for the team. I can see him very focused lately and that’ll help him a lot.

“Balotelli’s new boots (one shoe is pink, the other blue)? We have all been making fun of him. We will see if he is brave enough to play with them. If he scores then it’s all good, though,” Kaka, 87 caps for the Brazilian national team, concluded.