Kaka believes 'everything gets taken to extremes' at his former club Real Madrid but insists it was an ‘amazing experience’ to play at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Brazilian joined Madrid in 2009 for £58 million after enjoying six successful seasons with AC Milan, and scored 29 goals and assisted 39 in 120 games for the club in all competitions.
He won the Copa del Rey in 2011 and La Liga the following season, but the 35-year-old admits he had to adapt to the different requirements when playing for the Spanish giants.
“At Real Madrid everything gets taken to extremes, as much for the good things as the bad things, so you have to adapt to the way that the press and the fans live through different situations,” Kaka told the Colombian media outlet El Espectador.
“For a player it’s an amazing experience to be at Real Madrid. I matured a lot there, principally as a person.”
In 2013, Kaka left Real to return to Milan, but did not enjoy the same success in his second spell at the San Siro, saying: “As a player you make changes that you think are going to work out in one way and for a number of reasons it doesn’t pan out as you hoped it would.”
GettyHe sees similarities between his own exit from Madrid and James Rodriguez’s this summer.
Bayern Munich signed the Colombian on a two-year loan deal, but the playmaker has struggled to secure a regular starting place.
“What happened to James and to me can happen to any player and not just at Real Madrid,” said Kaka, who has recently retired after a final MLS season with Orlando City.
“James didn’t forget how to play football. He is still a fantastic player and he’ll find his best form again at his new club and I’m sure he’ll continue to play well for Colombia.
“Football is getting quicker all the time but players like James know how to adapt. He is already accustomed to a faster style of football. It mustn’t be forgotten that he was the best player at the last World Cup.”