Ronaldinho promises to fill Milan's Kaka gap

 

Ronaldinho has vowed to lessen the impact of Kaka's departure by having a "great season" for AC Milan.
The Brazilian playmaker was responding to quotes from owner Silvio Berlusconi over the weekend that called him a "great champion".
Many fans were dismayed at Kaka's high-profile departure but Ronaldinho is vowing to step up his efforts for the Rossoneri and help mount a serious challenge for the Scudetto.
After Milan's comfortable pre-season victory over local side Varese he said: "I want to have a great season and dedicate my efforts to the president.
"I also want to guarantee the fans that I have the right mentality to become a great champion once again."
Ronaldinho had an indifferent campaign last year, making just 16 starts and suffering a slump in form after the Christmas period.
As the club rebuild after coach Carlo Ancelotti's departure, Ronaldinho has also urged the club to sign Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano.
He said: "It would be a great addition, he is a great player and we could form a wonderful trio along with [Alexandre] Pato."


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Kaka: Ronaldo, Beckham, Carlos Told Me Nice Things About Madrid

While the rest of the world had their eyes on the Santiago Bernabeu for Real Madrid’s Monday night coronation of Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s other galactic star, Kaka was quietly enjoying a party of his own back in Sao Paulo.

Los Blancos’ new No. 8 returned to Brazil for a short holiday after a successful Confederations Cup campaign to celebrate his son, Luca’s first birthday (even though he was born on June 10) and among 
the guests at the party was Elano, Robinho, Ronaldo and F1 driver, Felipe Massa.

During the celebrations, Kaka admitted that he wants to disconnect himself from football for the time being and focus on family. 

“At the moment, my priority is Luca. A lot of people here say to me that I am not Kaka, but the father of Luca,” he told Brazilian TV program, ‘Esporte Espectacular’.

“What I want is for him to grow up well, be happy and be comfortable in Madrid,” he continued.
The playmaker then went on to touch briefly on why he signed for Los Blancos.

“I contacted other Brazilians who have played for Madrid, especially those who were in the national team such as Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. I even got in touch with [David] Beckham and they all have only nice things to say about Madrid,” he revealed.

“I chose Madrid because of the glamor of the club, because of the fascination people have with them, because of the stadium, the fans, things that you can’t find at any other club in the world.”

Finally, Kaka was asked if his €67 million transfer fee will put any unwanted burden on him.

“At the end of the day, each transfer will involve millions of euros but it is the players who have the least to win,” he replied.

“This is football, an industry where millions of dollars revolve around this spectacle.
“For me, I do not regret anything. Instead, I thank the Milan fans for all the support they’ve provided me all these years but now, I only think about my future with Real Madrid.”
 
Kaka will remain in Brazil to attend the wedding of Alexandre Pato, before returning to the Spanish capital to begin preseason training on July 27 with the rest of the squad.

Kaka surprised by speed of Real's move for Ronaldo

Kaka was surprised Real Madrid swooped for Cristiano Ronaldo so soon after his own move to the Bernabeu was announced.

The Brazilian completed his switch from AC Milan for a fee of around £56m last Monday.
Only three days later, Manchester United confirmed they had accepted a bid of £80m for Ronaldo from Madrid, although the Portugal international has not completed the move.

''I was quite surprised because everything was sorted so quickly,'' Kaka told Globo TV on Monday. ''It was pleasant surprise, not a bad one. He is an excellent player who can bring a lot to the team.
''To have players who can decide a match on their own is very important and Cristiano can do that.''
Asssuming Ronaldo's deal is completed, the double capture of the Portuguese and Kaka represents a stunning raid to land perhaps the best two players in world football.

The amount of money being spent by Madrid under president Florentino Perez, who returned this summer for a second spell in charge, has come in for strong criticism, but Kaka defended the architect of the 'Galacticos' policy.

''It is a political problem,'' Kaka said. ''Florentino has his project, his way to invest. It is not something negative for football, but positive.

''The Barcelona president (Joan Laporta) has criticised us, but they are very strong. The way Real can be a competitive team again is to have an ambitious project like Florentino's.''

David Beckham commitment under fire

The great experiment in question involved adding one part soccer superstar, David Beckham, to a diluted North American market, hoping that a massive positive chemical reaction might take place.
Well, we're still waiting, even if there have been a series of minor explosions along the way. All eyes are back on Beckham as he returns, finally, to the Los Angeles Galaxy roster July 16 for a game against the New York Red Bulls. He's back from an extended stay in Europe, where he fled in search of better competition.

Certainly, Major League Soccer wants him back. He sells tickets and merchandise and gives the league a cachet it might otherwise lack. But he also has left even his teammates wondering if Beckham still believes in the mission.

L.A. striker Landon Donovan is highly critical of Beckham in this long-awaited book by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl. Donovan says Beckham is guilty of a lack of commitment and suggests he deserves to be benched if his attitude has not changed.

Wahl writes of the Galaxy's trip to Toronto in August 2007 as being the first time his teammates experienced the VIP treatment accorded Beckham wherever he goes. At the Ultra Supper Club, "you would have thought you'd stepped into a time warp back to 1977, to the days when the New York Cosmos of Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia partied with Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger and the gang at Studio 54 in Manhattan. For the Galaxy players, that night in the Supper Club – the hottest nightclub in downtown Toronto – was the first time they felt like a SuperClub."
Those were the days.

Milan Don't Need To Buy Any Players – Silvio Berlusconi

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi will anger his own fans with the statement he is in no hurry to sign any new players.

The Rossoneri have been linked to various players this summer, but no major signings have been made as pre-season training starts today.

“We have chosen to look forward, aiming on the renewal,” explained the club’s president to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“However, our squad remains formidable and therefore I foresee a good season. The fans need to remain calm: it will not be a defeatist mentality for Milan.

“We have great champions like Pato, Ronaldinho and [Andrea] Pirlo, and many young promising players.

“No one in Italy, from the technical point of view, has a squad as strong as ours, not even Inter.

“The objectives? Milan, as always, starts off to win everything, even though there are years which are more lucky or less lucky.

“Reinforcements? The problem is not the names. If on the market some doors open up, someone can arrive, otherwise we’re fine like this. We must not buy at all cost.”

The fans have voiced their disappointment over Milan's transfer efforts through the low sales of season tickets, with reports from Italy stating that the Rossoneri have sold under 1,000 tickets, whereas their rivals Inter have sold over 24,000 so far.


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