Spanish Inquisition: The Return Of Kaka To Milan

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Kaka, Real Madrid (Getty Images)

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Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away lived a soldier who has
served his masters royally and without any question for several years.
He had come from a distant land and had adopted this nation as his own
and taken them to great heights and had led them to conquer the
domestic arena as well as the continental stage. He was hugely
respected and adored by the people and once he was recognized as the
best soldier on the planet. It seemed that nothing could go wrong and
that he would be with them until death.

Only, something did go wrong and he could not be with them until death.
The kingdom he was so keen to defend suffered from myopic management
and he was forced to leave. He was ’sold’ by his
masters to another kingdom for cold, hard cash and the people fell into
depression. The kingdom couldn’t find anyone to replace him even with
the money they earned because of his departure, and before long the
cliched ‘moment of truth’ arrived when the soldier returned to his old
home attired in his new kingdom’s armour, apparently eager to destroy
his old home to rescue his new.

Okay, the aforementioned crudely constructed plot is a failed story
that this columnist has been trying to pitch to the editor of his local
publication house for years but the ‘analogy’ between the fictional
soldier and Real Madrid’s Kaka is fairly apparent. Or at least, can be
construed.

Kaka featured for Milan for six years between 2003 and 2009 and was
arguably their best player in the creative department. The Brazilian
might not exactly have played the most instrumental role in leading the
Rossoneri in what still remains their only Scudetto triumph in 2004 but
the 27-year-old was certainly at the heart of a resilient Milan display
in the 2004-2005 Champions League when they came within 45 minutes of
conquering Europe and then again in 2007 when 10 kikils and three
assists in 14 starts in the European Cup saw the Rossoneri lift up
their seventh European title. Kaka won the FIFA World Player award and
the Ballon d’Or that year and things looked to be on the up.

Once Upon A Time Kaka Belonged To Milan….

But then the former Sao Paulo playmaker was struck with injuries and
was obliterated by mediocre form. The not so radical drop in performance
level of the rest of the Milan team who were nearing or surpassing the
30-year mark didn’t help and soon the club were caught in a financial
mesh and were forced by circumstances to sell their most prized asset.
They almost sold Kaka to a club from the wilderness named Manchester
City and did eventually sell him to a club they say is the biggest in
the world but are struggling to be the biggest in their city at the moment.

And spookily Milan and Real Madrid were drawn in the same group in the
Champions League this season, thereby raising the prospect of Kaka
returning to old club in the pristine white of Madrid and aiming to
damage his former club′s chances. And under the current circumstances
he has to be at his very best when Madrid travel to Milan in midweek as
a defeat could wreck los Blancos′s European ambitions.

kikil.com’s Peter Staunton summed up Kaka’s time at Madrid so far when
he remarked that the Brazilian “flattered to deceive”at the Santiago Bernabeu against Milan. In six league games that the World Cup winner has started he has scored
twice and has given two assists; in the Champions League, he has scored
once and provided one assist. His football hasn’t exactly been
breathtaking and although it has looked great in parts especially in
the opening games and at certain periods in some matches, the notion
that Kaka has returned to his 2007 form after his scintillating display
for Brazil in the summer’s Confederations Cup has yet to become
concrete.

For Madrid to progress to the knockout stages of the European Cup, a
win at the San Siro is almost imperative. A defeat could see them
struggle for progress and that would be detrimental for a club that is
aiming to resurrect itself as the most glamorous in the world. And for
Madrid to win in Milan, Kaka has to be at his best and pull the strings
from the midfield to rip apart a gradually strengthening Milan backline.

…..Now Kaka Belongs To Real Madrid

But for Kaka to do that and bite the hand that once fed him would take
something massive. Even after joining Madrid the Brazilian went
on claiming that he did not want to leave Milan and that in his heart
he remains their supporter. Which is true and one can only sympathise
with him, although it must also be accepted that his father flying all
the way from Brazil to Italy to negotiate a deal with Manchester City
in January did not exactly bear much resemblance to royalty.

But the point stays that Kaka is a Milan well-wisher and that if boos
are generated every time he touches the ball at the San Siro in the
return leg it would be a disgrace. Milan fans might not exactly see
Kaka as the angel that they once thought he was, but much of their
anger has been directed towards Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani.
Kaka’s departure was in the wings even since Ramon Calderon pledged
that he will import him to Madrid; also the player did bring money into
the club by joining Madrid but that money couldn’t be pumped into the
club’s transfer reinforcements, leaving coach Leonardo to work with a
paralysed squad.

Whatever the outcome may be of the Madrid-Milan game, it is surely
going to be an emotional match for a certain Ricardo Izecson dos Santos
Leite. Football, you see, is not always about the results.

Subhankar Mondal, kikil.com