[MizNelson]

"I like Milan as it is," declared the Milan president to Sky Sport 24. "I think that with the great number of champions we can put on the pitch, we don't need anyone else.

"The Milan fans can sleep comfortably: we will give Leonardo a squad full of great champions, where we don't need any new players in the defensive department. We count on the return of [Kakha] Kaladze and [Alessandro] Nesta."

This was quoted in Sky Sports. I've learned not to put anything past Berlu in the absurdity department, but how do we know these quotes weren't simply made up?

[Zed.D]

Just found some interesting statistics regarding Kaka's true value to Milan:

This season Kaka' didn't play in 13 official matches for Milan (8 Serie A, 5 UEFA Cup). So these are the statistics from those matches:
- 4 wins (2 in Serie A, 2 in UEFA Cup)
- 3 draws (all in UEFA CUP, two against Werder!)
- 6 defeats (all in Serie A)

Now when we take a look at he table, with Kaka' in squad Milan played 30 games and won 20 matches, draw 8 times and lost only 2 matches; resulting with - 68 points.

Milan's final score in Serie A this season is: 38 matches played, 22 wins, 8 draws and 8 defeats(!) - which is equal to: 74 points.

Conclusion is that Milan has won only six points in eight games Kaka' didn't play in, and that talks how much he means to this team

No Kaka no Milan.

And these stats are from his worst season ever! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Thanks a lot. I wanted to make a similar post but I was too lazy to go look for the stats.

[Bluesummers]

This was quoted in Sky Sports. I've learned not to put anything past Berlu in the absurdity department, but how do we know these quotes weren't simply made up?

He actually came out and said them in an interview.

[A.X]

kaladze ??? heh .... and nesta needs a lot to return to his best ... i hope milan will have a better denfence next season than this one ...

[Zed.D]

Blog: Don’t Duck out

Who would you be most disappointed to see leave Milan – Kaka or Alexandre Pato? Steve Wilson does not think the answer is as clear cut as you may think
So Real Madrid want Kaka and Chelsea want Alexandre Pato. It seems inevitable that one of the two will be waving goodbye to San Siro in the coming weeks, but which would be the bigger loss? One is 27-years-old, has a Ballon d’Or in his locker and would bring in – allegedly – £65m. The other is just 19, has been tipped to win the Golden Ball in the future and is reported to be carrying a £45m price-tag. Which deal should the Rossoneri usher through?

If Milan sell Kaka they have the harder task of filling the creative void left in their midfield. On the one hand it could be argued that without Kaka we would see the best of Ronaldinho. Another theory would be for them to capture Sampdoria fantasista Antonio Cassano. The third option is for new Coach Leonardo to call his scouts back home in South America to find the best ‘new Kaka’ – someone like Sao Paulo’s Oscar or River Plate’s Diego Buonanotte.

Remember, Kaka arrived at Milan for relative peanuts – just £7m paid to Sao Paulo back in 2003 – so if they can make a £58m profit on their investment and snap up the next big thing from South America for a fraction of that sum it has to be seen as good business. Kaka has won Serie A, he has won the Champions League and he has won the World Club Cup with the Diavolo. What more is there for him to achieve with them? Maybe he needs a new challenge.

I’ve also seen a new side to him in the last few days. His declarations that he wishes to stay in Milan, his ‘I Belong To Jesus’ t-shirts and his clean-cut, wholesome character say one thing, but the stories of a £10m pay-off to his father and the demands that his talentless brother Digão tag along with him to La Liga say another. Perhaps it is time to let him go to the glamour of the Bernabéu, a destination that would seemingly better befit his growing ego.

Pato, meanwhile, has it all still to do with Milan. Thus far he has no medals, but he has got 26 goals in 59 games. How many young stars arrive in Italy and fail to deliver the goods? ‘The Duck’ is clearly not in that category. He has proven his worth already in a struggling Rossoneri side. If some of the Kaka money can be reinvested in young, talented and hungry players then Leonardo has the chance to build his side for the future around Pato.

It was a major coup for the Via Turati outfit to beat off the West London Blues for Pato’s signature back in the summer of 2007. To have won that battle, seen what the kid can do and installed an exciting new boss from his homeland to mentor him it would now seem mad to let him go. The circumstances are there for him to flourish in Serie A, handing him over now would see Milan reduced to a feeder club – acclimatising the player to Europe before selling him on.

Paolo Maldini has retired, David Beckham has gone back to MLS, why not bite the bullet and let Kaka go too? Clear out the ‘old’ generation – although I know ‘Il Bambino d’Oro’ is no Grandpa at just 27 – and let a fresh, new Coach build a new, young side that can start a clean chapter in Milan’s proud history. The club has already let go of Yoann Gourcuff – who could have had a good crack at growing into Kaka’s boots – they simply mustn’t let another star prospect leave.

The old generation (of the midfield) consists of Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Ambrosini and Kaka. it can hardly be said we have cleared out the old generation by selling only Kaka, the youngest and arguably the best of them all. as of now, I don't think we're starting a new era at all. we're taking a step backwards. (unless a new midfielder that plays in the same position as Kaka comes).

Other than that, I personally agree that if we had to choose between selling Pato or Kaka, it'd better be Kaka.

[GonzZo]

The old generation (of the midfield) consists of Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Ambrosini and Kaka. it can hardly be said we have cleared out the old generation by selling only Kaka, the youngest and arguably the best of them all. as of now, I don't think we're starting a new era at all. we're taking a step backwards. (unless a new midfielder that plays in the same position as Kaka comes).

Other than that, I personally agree that if we had to choose between selling Pato or Kaka, it'd better be Kaka.

Yea, no doubt in my mind that Pato would be the one that should stay. Interesting thoughts about Cassano, last season he was probably one of the best players in serie a, and he's obviously just hitting his peak. He doesn't seem as insane as he used to, but it would be up to Leonardo to decide wether or not he would be acceptable in the squad.

[Zed.D]

I am one of those who believe in Cassano's greatness as a footballer, but his attitude... can Leonardo deal with it? wouldn't it unsettle the locker room? (he may not be at his most insane anymore but he's still pretty insane!)

This post has been edited by Zed.D: Jun 5 2009, 01:07 PM

[amancik]

Ok Blue ...

Lets stick to rational here, you have stated several points which (I assume) bother you and probably a lot of others.

Okay, let it be noted that Silvio has gained from Milan over the years, but not as much financially as politically. Why not financially ? Because football in Italy is kinda like pouring water into a pierced bucket. Cash, to some extent, is not generated at the same rate as it used to. Football is a business and it is categorized under entertainment. But again, in Italy it is not as BIG an industry as say England or Spain, where their bottom line is significantly better. Milan, as a club is profitable. But it is not generating cash at the end of the year, hence Silvio comes in (most likely through Fininvest) and injects more cash to keep the club running. This cycle has been going on for sometime now in order to keep Milan as a European giant.

Why doesn't Silvio sell the club ? I have no idea other than his affection towards it. An Arab, Russian, Persian .. They are better off buying into an EPL club than an Italian. (In fact, I read this editorial once about Sheikh Mansour's acquisition of City, he was interested in Roma, but after doing a feasibility study they backed off). As things stand Milan really is his club, and there is very little you or I could do protesting against it. He did after all, take Milan through several cycles in which the trophy cabinet at Via Turati bears the fruits of his success as President.

Were some of Milan's purchases bad ? Yes, some of them were, over the span of 22 years. But most of them proved to be fruitful. It is not a matter of, Milan sell Sheva for 30MM, hence 30MM is going to be spent on a replacement. 30MM has to be filtered, and divided into expenses and dues .. Whatever is left over, is (in a simplified scenario) used to finance the purchase of player X. Hence, it is not as simple as a,b,c ... It incorporates a lot of elements, that we are not exposed to.

I feel your sorrow, I really do ... As a fan, you want to see Milan on top of the pile, as do every single one of us in here ... You say Paolo could have been sold 10-15 years ago !? 10-15 years ago my friend, Serie A was the top league in Europe. It was kinda like what the EPL is today, much more lucrative in all aspects. And Paolo was targeted by Madrid during those times, Milan didn't budge, on the contrary Milan where in a better position financially, as was the whole league at the time, but that was then.

Today, Milan has to sell Kaka' ... It is inevitable. The quoted 70MM pounds is a mind boggling number, which could be put towards funding the club in all its aspects. My reasoning for it that Kaka' is 27 now ... He roughly has two more years left in him - as his attributes depend on speed & agility - and from then on he wont be worth 70MM. So, considering this, the management has been shrewd in the timing of the sale. Considering Milan needs the money to build a competitive team.

As for Carlo, he is gone now. Fillipo's sig describes this scenario pretty well, 'We can't behave like crocodiles and cry over spilled milk and broken eggs'. I consider Carlo to be one of the best managers that have trained Milan, and I'm saddened by his departure as he brought the team a lot of success when he took the reins. And cheer up, Leo is a rookie coach, but so were Sacchi & Capello.

I love Economics!

[Jack Sparrow]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


There is only one R7....

[han2503]

@R7
Even though you do bring up some great points that I would agree with if circumstances were different, at some point you have to admit that our management have lately made some massive mistakes that should have not been done.

I agree with you about the money issue and the recession if this was just coming up these past 2 seasons, but Milan have been in dire need to get quality players for 4 years now, yet the management have been happy to rest on their laurels and do nothing but point to the trophy cabinet.

Our management was once the most ambitious, driven and cunning, now they've become complaicent, slow (when it comes to competing in the market of today), and just plain uninterested (Berlusconi). Milan has always been mainly a political tool for Berlu, he used it as a platform to jump start his political carreer, and has continued to use it when he needed a boost. Personally I had no problem with that, he made Milan great because of this. But now that he's gotten all that he can out of it, he's let Milan fend for itself, and now adays no football club can manage to do that. He only gets involved with Milan issues when there is a photo op up for grabs, that's when he shows his face and starts making all those self rightous statements...

Again if this sudden lack of ability to invest funds is just recession caused then how can you explain the fact that Milan have not made any worth while transfers since Nesta? That's a long time ago, we have not managed to remain competitve since 2004 mainly because of this. So don't tell me that the lack of investment in the club is because of this. It's just not a solid argument when you look at the entire picture and not just a small part of it.

Another point about our management. They have wasted money on transfers been forced to pay higher fees for players that are not worth those ammounts, made some horrible blunders (Yoann). And now they're turning Milan into a selling club, something they always swore they would never do.

You know they keep talking about how Milan is a family and all that, but I did not see Galliani speaking out against those Ultras who ruined Maldini's last home game, I also see them pushing Kaka out against his will for money.

At some point you just can't keep defending these people. Berlu and Galliani are who they are not because they're honest to God men. Berlu certainly isn't, and like I've said Berlusconi has always had something to gain out of Milan, so we can put him on that pedastal all we want but him spending all that cash to begin with didn't come just out of love for the club...

[Bluesummers]

@R7
Even though you do bring up some great points that I would agree with if circumstances were different, at some point you have to admit that our management have lately made some massive mistakes that should have not been done.

I agree with you about the money issue and the recession if this was just coming up these past 2 seasons, but Milan have been in dire need to get quality players for 4 years now, yet the management have been happy to rest on their laurels and do nothing but point to the trophy cabinet.

Our management was once the most ambitious, driven and cunning, now they've become complaicent, slow (when it comes to competing in the market of today), and just plain uninterested (Berlusconi). Milan has always been mainly a political tool for Berlu, he used it as a platform to jump start his political carreer, and has continued to use it when he needed a boost. Personally I had no problem with that, he made Milan great because of this. But now that he's gotten all that he can out of it, he's let Milan fend for itself, and now adays no football club can manage to do that. He only gets involved with Milan issues when there is a photo op up for grabs, that's when he shows his face and starts making all those self rightous statements...

Again if this sudden lack of ability to invest funds is just recession caused then how can you explain the fact that Milan have not made any worth while transfers since Nesta? That's a long time ago, we have not managed to remain competitve since 2004 mainly because of this. So don't tell me that the lack of investment in the club is because of this. It's just not a solid argument when you look at the entire picture and not just a small part of it.

Another point about our management. They have wasted money on transfers been forced to pay higher fees for players that are not worth those ammounts, made some horrible blunders (Yoann). And now they're turning Milan into a selling club, something they always swore they would never do.

You know they keep talking about how Milan is a family and all that, but I did not see Galliani speaking out against those Ultras who ruined Maldini's last home game, I also see them pushing Kaka out against his will for money.

At some point you just can't keep defending these people. Berlu and Galliani are who they are not because they're honest to God men. Berlu certainly isn't, and like I've said Berlusconi has always had something to gain out of Milan, so we can put him on that pedastal all we want but him spending all that cash to begin with didn't come just out of love for the club...

Agree with everything, perfect post.

[MizNelson]

There is only one R7....

Thank God.

[Bluesummers]

Kaka Signs Real Madrid Shirt – Report

Kaka is behaving like a Real Madrid player already, dropping another hint that he has all but joined the Primera Division club after he autographed one of their shirts, according to reports in Brazil.

Globoesporte.com claims the Brazilian ace is currently in Uruguay with the Selecao and he did not object to signing a Real Madrid shirt with his name on it when a fan pulled out the famous jersey and asked him to initial it.

"He was very nice. He saw the shirt and he signed it near the club's badge," the fan told the Brazilian paper.

"He was very good about signing the shirt."

The latest news from Italy claims Kaka will reveal all his future plans during a press conference in Recife on Monday, where he is likely to announce his passage to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kaka's signature on the shirt seems to confirm reports that he will become a Real Madrid player. The move comes just hours after Rossoneri patron Silvio Berlusconi claimed his man wanted to leave.

[TriniKing_CE]

This doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I am not saying I don't believe he is going because of that either... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[MizNelson]

Wow, some dweeb actually had a Madrid shirt made up with his name? Reminds me of the schmuck who was pictured wearing a C. Ronaldo Man City jersey in the stands during a game over a month ago.

You definitely don't see that out here; it'd be like putting Tim Duncan on a Lakers jersey.