Adriano Galliani explains he’d been working on Kaka’s return since he left Milan, while the Brazilian is “almost the same as 10 years ago.”
Ricky was sold to Real Madrid in 2009 and made his comeback today, wearing the captain’s armband in a friendly against Swiss side Chiasso.
Adriano Galliani explains he’d been working on Kaka’s return since he left Milan, while the Brazilian is “almost the same as 10 years ago.”
Ricky was sold to Real Madrid in 2009 and made his comeback today, wearing the captain’s armband in a friendly against Swiss side Chiasso.
“I had been working on this for 48 months,” smiled Vice-President Galliani on Radio Deejay. “Basically I’d dreamed of bringing Ricky back from the moment he left!
“At that moment the sale suited everyone and in the spring Real President Florentino Perez visited Milan in secret three times to negotiate.”
The return was sealed on transfer deadline day, as Real Madrid released Kaka on a free transfer and the player accepted a large pay cut.
“I told myself that if I went to Madrid there’d be a one per cent chance of getting this deal, but if I stayed in Italy then none whatsoever. It was an extremely difficult negotiation process.
“With regards to the wages, we had some difficulties when the boy’s father, Bosco, asked for 20 per cent more than we had offered. If we had gone over that limit, other players in the squad would’ve come forward to request renewals with higher figures too.”
Kaka is now 31 and struggled with injuries throughout his disappointing Real Madrid career, but Galliani assures those problems are behind him.
“We renewed Milan Lab this year and have a huge archive of data going back to 2002. The medics tell me Kaka’s numbers are almost the same as 10 years ago. A luminary of medicine reassured me his knee is in great shape. If he didn’t perform in Madrid, it was solely down to injuries.”
Galliani was also asked about reports Massimiliano Allegri is the favourite for the Italy job should Cesare Prandelli step down after the World Cup.
“I won’t make predictions, but I can say his contract is due to expire in June and he’ll have to wait. We need to balance the books, so we can only discuss renewals from May onwards, including Allegri.”