Goal.com Profile: Kaka

The Beginning

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known as Kaka, came through the youth ranks at Sao Paulo, having lived since the age of seven in the Morumbi district of the city where the club has its home. That middle-class upbringing set him apart from most of his team-mates who lived in the most impoverished suburbs of the metropolis. And the joyous garotada used to hang out at Kaka’s house after the daily training sessions to play videogames and eat his mother Simone Cristina’s cakes.

After signing his first contract at 15, Kaka made his senior debut On February 2, 2001 and hit the headlines a month later. On March 7, Sao Paulo were playing Botafogo in the final of the Torneio Rio-São Paulo, a competition that the Tricolor Paulista had never won. Sao Paulo were a goal down and Coach Oswaldo Alvarez threw Kaka into the fray after 14 minutes of the second half with some commentators astonished at the decision to field “a youth team reserve”.

Kaka netted twice in just a little over two minutes to bring the trophy to Morumbi for the first time in the club’s history, but his performance was not enough to earn him a regular place in the first team. And after a sobbing Kaka was taken off just 39 minutes into the quarter-final of the Brazilian championship against Atletico Paranaense, some pundits claimed that “he was nice to watch, but could not play important games”.

A decidely youthful Kaka in 2002

However, he went on to score 12 goals in 27 appearances in that first season and 10 in 22 the following year. His superb footballing skills soon attracted the interest of top European sides and Kaka was also included in the Brazilian squad that claimed its fifth World Cup trophy in South Korea and Japan in 2002, playing just 17 minutes against Costa Rica during the group stage.

Off To The Boot

Milan snapped up the attacking midfielder in the summer of 2003 for just €7.3 million, and even though the Rossoneri had initially agreed to let him stay in Brazil until 2004, they eventually opted to take him to San Siro right away, out of fear that other clubs were ready to pounce and tempt him away from Europe's fashion capital.

The Diavoli directors expected him to simply provide backup for Manuel Rui Costa in his maiden season, but he debuted with an impressive display in a 2-0 victory away to Ancona on September 1 and ended up pushing the Portuguese star out of the starting XI on a regular basis. Kaka netted four goals in the Champions League that season and 10 in 30 appearances in the league to help Milan win their 17th Scudetto.

Kaka learns from his elders - and surpasses them

In his second year, he was initially hampered by fitness problems and some pundits in Italy soon started the typical 'flash in the pan’ talk. However, he proved them wrong in the second part of the season and was instrumental in the Rossoneri’s Champions League campaign that ultimately ended in tatters at the hands of Liverpool in Istanbul. Milan finished second in Serie A with the Brazilian netting seven in 36 appearances.

The Rossoneri ended the 2005-06 season empty-handed, but Kaka started to reach his peak and netted one of his finest goals for the club in a Champions League group stage match against Fenerbahce. He started his run from the midfield and dribbled past three defenders before driving the ball past the goalkeeper from inside the area.

The 2006-07 season started out under the best auspices and Kaka bagged a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Anderlecht in the Champions League. With the league title secured by Inter in record time, Carlo Ancelotti’s men concentrated their efforts on Europe’s premier club competition and the Brazilian managed to break down Celtic’s resistance in extra time of their last-16 tie, before tucking away a penalty against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final.

But his masterwork came in the semi-finals when he almost single-handedly downed Manchester United, netting a brace at Old Trafford and opening the scoring in pouring rain at San Siro in the return leg to set up a rematch with Liverpool in Athens, where he provided the assist for Filippo Inzaghi 82nd minute deathblow that won Milan their seventh Champions League title. The Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of The Year awards duly ended up in his trophy cabinet.

An icon - Kaka celebrates his destruction of Man Utd

The Dawn Of A New Era

Kaka was at the centre of a week-long transfer saga in January 2009 when he was the subject of a massive bid from Manchester City, who had recently become the richest club in the world. After much consideration, he rejected a move to Eastlands, saying he had ‘listened to his heart’. He'd also presumably listened to Milan and Italy President, Silvio Berlusconi.

But things rapidly changed at the end of the Serie A season, when Florentino Perez returned at Real Madrid to restart the Galacticos. Kaka was first on his agenda. “We can’t afford to miss out on €70 million each year,” explained Berlusconi. And that was it.

A triumphant Perez declared that Kaka was just the start - Cristiano Ronaldo was the next target - hours before the transfer went through, but excitement around Kaka remained palpable throughout June 7, until finally, on the evening of Monday, June 8, in Recife, Brazil, the transfer became official.

Real Madrid have pinned their hopes on the 27-year-old being at the forefront of the new Galacticos era and help restore their dominance both in La Liga and in Europe, while Kaka’s departure may perhaps go a long way toward helping Milan rejuvenate their ageing squad and give the Rossoneri a new lease of life. What everyone will really be looking out for, though, is what he does with his.

HONOURS

Sao Paulo
Copa São Paulo de Juniores: 2000
Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 2001
Super Campeonato Paulista: 2002

Milan
Serie A: 2004
Italian Super Cup: 2004
UEFA Champions League: 2007
UEFA Super Cup: 2007
FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

International
FIFA World Cup: 2002
FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005

Individual
Revista Placar Bola de Ouro: 2002
Campeonato Brasileiro Bola de Prata (best player by position): 2002
CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2003
Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2006, 2007
Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2007
UEFA Champions League Bronze Top scorer: 2005/2006
UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder: 2005
UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2007
FIFPro World XI: 2006, 2007, 2008
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2006–07
UEFA Champions League Best Forward: 2006–07
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007
FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007
Ballon d'Or: 2007
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2007
Toyota Award: 2007
FIFA World Player of the Year: 2007
Onze d'Or: 2007
IFFHS World‘s Best Playmaker: 2007
IAAF Latin Sportsman of the Year: 2007
Time 100: 2008
Time 100: 2009
Maracanã Hall Of Fame: 2008
Samba d'Or: 2008
FIFA Team of the Year: 2008

Vince Masiello, Goal.com