Kaka rejects Manchester City move

[Robot Chicken]

So...it's all over, apparently!

AC Milan playmaker Kaka has turned down a lucrative move to Manchester City.

"Kaka is staying at Milan," said a club spokesman, after team owner Silvio Berlusconi told Italian television the 26-year-old had opted not to leave. City issued a statement saying they had ended talks, believing it was unlikely a deal could be struck with Milan.

"A transfer must work commercially, financially, results on the field and within City's broader community," said executive chairman Garry Cook.

"The discussions reached only a preliminary stage and the player was not involved at any time." added Cook, who spent Monday in meetings with Milan officials and Kaka's father and advisor Bosco Leite. "No commercial terms were framed."

City's bid for Kaka was reportedly worth a £100m, more than £50m in excess of the current world transfer fee record Real Madrid paid to Juventus to sign Zinedine Zidane in 2001 and that the Premier League club were willing to pay the Brazilian weekly wages of £500,000.

"That's the end of the story," Berlusconi told Italian television. "I'm truly delighted to have kept Kaka at Milan.

"Kaka is a great champion and a great man. He's refused the offer from Manchester City giving privilege to Milan, his companions and his fans.

"He said it's because money isn't everything in life. Kaka is staying with us and we're delighted. Money is important, but there are also other things that are important.

"The fans are delighted too. Turning down so much money is something to admire."

Earlier hundred of Milan fans had protested outside the club's headquarters over the possible sale of the Brazilian to Manchester City in a £100m transfer.

Fans had also gathered outside Kaka's house and he responded by beating his hand three times on his heart while holding a Milan shirt.

On Saturday Kaka had played in Milan's 1-0 win over Fiorentina at the San Siro, with the home fans displaying banners such as "Kaka is Priceless" and "Hands Off Kaka", and singing "Don't Sell Kaka".

After the game England international David Beckham, who is currently on loan at Milan from US club LA Galaxy, had predicted the Brazilian would opt to stay at the San Siro.

"I don't think anybody in the dressing room is thinking about how much money they can earn," said the England international.

"It's about playing with the best team, with the best players in the world and winning trophies, and it's not always about money.

"Riccardo doesn't need my advice. He will decide what he wants to do, but he loves Milan. I don't think he will leave."

Kaka joined Serie A giants Milan from Sao Paulo in 2003 and has since won the Italian league title, Champions League and Club World Cup.

The attacking midfielder has scored 86 goals in 244 appearances for Milan. He has also picked up 62 caps for Brazil and scored 23 goals.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, estimated to be worth £15bn, took over as City owner in September 2008 and extensive funds have been made available to City manager Mark Hughes.

So far he has secured the services of Wayne Bridge and Craig Bellamy during the January transfer window.

"It would have been an astonishing coup for City," BBC Radio 5 Live's senior football reporter Ian Dennis.

"But was Kaka ever going to come to City for football reasons?"

Kaka is under contract at the San Siro until 2013, and although he stated last February that he wanted to remain at Milan for the rest of his career, he had hinted at a desire to play in the Premier League - which he has described as the "best championship in the world".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7838966.stm

 

[adrian29uk]

I'm glad Kaka has turned this deal down. It shows the billionaires that money is not everything. Money cannot buy success. Apparently Robinho has also walked out of Man City and flown back to Brazil as he is not happy. Not happy times at Man City. Same goes for Chelsea as well, 2 clubs that are paying for success but it's not working.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Kaka is likely to go to Real in the Summer. They have offered similar salary and 100m euros. Not as much but a better footballing move for him and apparently he will go.

What a lot of people seem to be missing about this whole Man City thing is the imbalance it will cause at other clubs. Say he had gone to Man City and AC made £100m available for transfer spending. hat would be a massive amount to spend in its own right. Inter would then be spending the equivalent of Chelsea in seasons gone by just on the proceeds of one players. If Man City for one or two of those (eg Terry) that will in effect create short-term Chelsea's (ie clubs with almost bottomless transfer budgets for a very short period of time). It will have an effect and it won't be good.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

It was always on the card when Belusconi gets involved. And I am for one, pleased that this stupid transfer hasn't happened.

 

[JJ McClure]

Same goes for Chelsea as well, 2 clubs that are paying for success but it's not working.

Two Premier League Titles, Fa Cup, couple of League cups, and a champions league final. It's working fairly well for Chelsea I'd say.

 

[RM-Taylor]

At least they got their number one target; Craig Bellamy

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

This is of course brilliant news & proof that the world hasnt gone completely mad.

Kaka could have just taken the money but has shown that he actually has more principles

 

[Elder for England]

It's brilliant that Kaka has chosen to stay for principled reasons rather than money, and shows one thing that many footballers lack, loyalty. Man City executive chairman Garry Cook said how Milan had bottled it, or perhaps he can't handle the fact that not all people operate purely for money reasons and is slightly bitter.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

At least they got their number one target; Craig Bellamy

They got exactly what they deserved

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Hmmm, this all stinks of a Berlusconi political stunt to me.

Allow City to speak to Kaka, safe in the knowledge that he's unlikely to want to join them, let slip the ridiculous wages on offer to the press, then claim all the credit when- it's a miracle!- the player decides he can live on the £150k p/w he already earns, plus the occasional trophy.

Shameless.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

It's brilliant that Kaka has chosen to stay for principled reasons rather than money

Not sure that's right. I think his advisers (Somewhat smarter than those employed by a few ex-Brighton players) used Man City to flush out Real Madrid. By all accounts they are prepared to match the wages offer in the Summer, but Milan have done all they needed to in order to placate their fans mid-season, knowing full well that he will go in the Summer. Plus Kaka gets to look like the nice guy who can claim "I stuck with you for the season but Madrid is the only club I would ever leave you for" and look like the nice guy.

Dig this out in the Summer when he moves!

 

[Mellotron]

Is he really going to want to miss out on Champions League football two years in a row?

 

[Mellotron]

Oops. Just looked and it seems Real are in rather less DIRE straits than PREVIOUSLY thought.

 

[otk]

All the Sheiks and Abramovitchs of this world need to realise it's about heritage and heart, not just chucking money at it and buggering off when they're bored. f*** Off to the lot of them