Failed transfers: Kaká was not only the star of AC Milan, but also of Europe. But he didn’t build on his performances at Real

Brazilian Kaká was one of the most watched players in European football in those days. And no wonder, because at AC Milan he became a big star and an absolutely indispensable player. After a few years, however, he chose a new challenge and moved to Real Madrid. He did not, however, follow up his golden days in the White Ballet jersey.

In his time, he was one of the most talented players on the planet. Kaká joined AC Milan in August 2003 for eight and a half million euros from São Paulo in Brazil. In his first season he played 30 league games in the red and black jersey, scoring ten goals and assisting five more.

Notably, Kaká won the domestic competition with AC Milan in 2003/04 and almost immediately became one of the key men in the starting line-up. This is also evidenced by the fact that he was the best player of the year. The Brazilian offensive midfielder made ten more Champions League starts, scoring four goals.

In terms of club trophies, Kaká won only the Italian Super Cup in his next two seasons with the Rossoneri. However, individually, these were again exceptional performances. Looking at the statistics – in the 2004/05 league season he recorded a record of 7+14, a year later 14+9 in 35 games.

The 2006/07 season was a turning point in his club career. In that season he won the Champions League with AC Milan, in which he appeared in a total of 13 matches. And he recorded a truly impressive record of 10 goals and three assists.

It can be said that Kaká has completely dominated the whole of football in Europe this season from an individual point of view. The now 40-year-old Brazilian has once again become the best player of the year, the top scorer of the Champions League and the Italian Footballer of the Year. He also won the FIFA and UEFA Best Player award, and to make matters worse, Kaká also won the Ballon d’Or in 2007.

Then in the 2007/08 season, AC Milan won the European Super Cup and also dominated the Club World Cup. It was clearly the best period of the Brazilian footballer’s career.

Kaká spent two more seasons in Milan, in which he had a record of 15+11 and 16+9. Prior to the transfer below, he played 270 games in the red and black jersey across all competitions, scoring 95 goals and adding 75 assists.

And although he initially claimed he wanted to play his entire career in Milan and become captain, on 1 July 2009 AC accepted an offer from Real Madrid. Kaká left for the royal club for a sum of 67 million euros.

And with hindsight, it can be said that this transfer did not really work out for the then Brazilian superstar. Kaká at Real simply did not follow up his awesome stats from AC in terms of individual performances.

In his first season in Spain, he scored eight goals and assisted seven more in 25 games, but in the next one he only played in 14 games. In the 2011/12 season, he recorded a 5+10 record in 27 games, but a season later he only recorded 3+4 in 19 games.

In total, he appeared in 120 competitive matches for the White Ballet, scoring 29 goals and registering 39 assists. Thus, although Kaká did not build on his performances from his previous team, he won three trophies with Real – one title, the Spanish Cup and the Super Cup.

He then returned to AC Milan for the 2013/14 season, but he was only a shadow of the once huge star and driving force of the Rossoneri. After a year at Milan, Kaká left for Orlando as a free agent, from where he headed back to São Paulo. However, after his loan spell expired, he returned to the US, where he ended his football career on 17 December 2017.

Sources: AC Milan, Transfermarkt