ROME: Brazilian midfielder Kaka has completed a return to AC Milan on a two-year contract after the Serie A side agreed a deal with Real Madrid, the Italian club confirmed Monday.
“Done deal,” Milan CEO Adriano Galliani announced on the club’s website, adding that discussions ran until “around 0235-0240 CET” Monday morning before the move was completed.
According to the Italian press, Real allowed the 31-year-old to return to his former club on a free transfer, having paid 65 million euros to bring Kaka to Madrid in 2009.
“I’m going home!,” the player told journalists at a Madrid airport before boarding a flight to Milan, where he landed shortly after Monday lunchtime.
The Brazilian was said to have taken a significant pay cut to facilitate his move to the San Siro, accepting an annual salary of four million euros plus bonuses, a considerable reduction from the 10 million euros a year he received in Madrid.
“I’m very happy, the talks took a long time. Money was never one of my priorities,” Kaka told Milan Channel, the Italian club’s TV station, upon his arrival at the Milan-Linate airport.
The Brazilian had fallen out of favor in Madrid while former boss Jose Mourinho was in charge and had yet to feature for the Spanish side this season following the arrival of new coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“When I understood that there was no longer space for me (at Real), I had to leave,” said Kaka.
“I really want to play. It’s a special year because there is the World Cup. First of all I have to do well for Milan, but I think the club can help me play in the World Cup,” added the Brazilian, who has scored 29 goals in 87 appearances for his country.
Kaka’s first spell at the Rossoneri, from 2003 to 2009, coincided with his rise to prominence that culminated in him winning the 2007 Ballon d’Or after leading Milan to the Champions League title that year.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri on Friday had praised the Brazilian’s attributes and said he had “faith” a deal could be struck for Kaka.
“Kaka would strengthen us. He’s versatile and his technical attributes would be a big plus to the team,” said Allegri.
Milan’s push to bolster their squad before Monday’s transfer deadline comes days after they qualified for the group stages of the Champions League.
Kaka completes AC Milan return
Kaka completes AC Milan return
Israel seeks to demolish West Bank stadium just weeks after UEFA intervention
- In January, a football pitch in the Aida refugee camp was saved, but Israel is now looking to dismantle the Umm Al-Khair Stadium in Masafer Yatta
RIYADH: On Jan. 20, an intervention by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin prevented Israeli forces from taking over the Aida refugee camp football pitch outside Bethlehem, but now Tel Aviv is targeting another arena.
Less than a month later, Israel is threatening to demolish the Umm Al-Khair Stadium in Masafer Yatta, in the West Bank.
“UEFA saved one pitch in the West Bank. Israel is demolishing another,” read the cover of Game Over Israel’s latest Instagram post.
The latest move illustrates why this situation is not simply about saving one or two stadiums, but one which critics of Israel argue is designed to encourage settler expansion and make life increasingly difficult for Palestinians.
The Umm Al-Khair stadium in Masafer Yatta serves as a recreational space for children in the village who want nothing more than a safe space to play and take part in sporting activities.
It appears, however, that the well-being of these children comes second to settlement expansion demands. The pro-settler Regavim organization has reportedly claimed that the facility obstructs settlement expansion in the area.
“We received this stop-work order from the Israeli Civil Administration against the playground of Umm Al-Khair,” a resident said in a video distributed by journalist Leyla Hamed.
“If we don’t reply to our lawyers, this playground will be dismantled and demolished by the Israeli army.”
On one level, it may feel like a victory for Ceferin and UEFA to have helped save one pitch. But can it truly be considered progress if every time one stadium is saved another faces demolition?
Ashish Prashar, a former advisor to the Middle East peace envoy and leader of the #GameOverIsrael campaign, said: “You have to know who Israel is ... and Ceferin clearly doesn’t.
“Celebrating and receiving awards for playing a role in the saving of one pitch isn’t the work of justice.
“And it doesn’t protect the lives of Palestinian kids, nor fulfill his obligation as president of UEFA to promote peace, a legal assertion that gives the organization a very advantageous tax status in Switzerland.
“The only solution here is to be a serious person and suspend Israel.”
The so-called war may be over on paper, but until the wider system is addressed, the future of Palestinian football — and the peace surrounding it — remains under serious threat.
