Indeed he is. And it's the new Kaka - he works on the left with freedom to roam centrally.

And it works well, you HAVE to admit?

It's actually more of a 4-3-2-1, because both Kaká and Birsa ( ) sometimes expand their game from a more central position. Kaká falls back in midfield and tries to initiate attacks by himself. Allegri's pure 4-3-3 involved El Shaa and Boateng/Niang completely on the flanks.

Yes, that's what the old 4-3-3 from last season was aimed at, but about 70% of Kaka's best work these days is on the left with 30% in the middle.

At least that's how it looked to mine naked eye but stats say otherwise:



Actions areas from today's match. It's curious how facts can actually contradict what you believe you saw. Heavily involved on the left, yes, but it seems he spends more time in the hole.

Yep. Like I said, he starts off centrally and then shifts his game on the left. Birsa does the same but on the right.

Birsa just stands around like a potted plant shifting from centre to wide right

Kaka does all his best work in the centre for me, sure he drifts to either wing when play is being built up there but his major contributions come through the centre, which is why we should be going for a 4-3-1-2 with Kaka behind SES and Balo and then go for a 4-2-3-1 when Honda arrives. I think Kaka has proven that we should in fact base our game plan around him as he is THAT good

I actually think Kaká gives his best as a mezzapunta, basically somewhere in-between a trequartista and a SS. That's why I think that with Honda, a 4-3-2-1 would be the best way to go.

I think he's best when he drops in behind a front 2 and puts them through, it depends on what you want more from him, assists or goals

It's the same thing from before, when we had Sheva Kaka was used more for his assists rather than goal scoring, but when we lost Sheva we relied on him more for the goals rather than creativity

One goal shy of 100 goals with the Milan shirt.

Ricardo Kaká - All Champions League Goals (2003-2013)

These videos are actually kind of depressing.

So the word is we'll sell him after not qualifying for next year's CL?

Really? I hope not, he's faded, but he's got that Milan attitude we need badly.

Agreed.

Nah, he's not going anywhere.

http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20140330/fic...4405272423.html

Just one of many sites that report so. Basically, there's a clause in his contract that says he's free to leave if we don't qualify for CL football.

Still, even if there is a clause, it doesn't mean that he'll definitely leave

He won't be going to a top club with CL football anyway. I think now that he's found his groove back, he's at a club where he's absolutely loved by everyone and let's face it, he's not being paid peanuts. I think he'd want to stay at least another year.

Imo he's still too young and still has more to give for a team in Europe to waste away with some silly team in the MLS. At least he should wait until he hits 34 for that. He'd be doing a Beckham basically, leaving for a 3rd rate league when he's still got more to offer at the highest level

So, he got divorced from his wife after nine years. Kinda unexpected.

God will not be impressed. Do the holy vows mean nothing anymore!

ooh, I call dibs on her! (not that I see anyone else interested)

Very strange RC

Nah, not strange - it's an idiot referee applying the law 100% and completely oblivious to those two being mates.

Then stubbornly and arrogantly refusing to rescind even when the 'victim' confirms it was banter.

Referees get a bad name at time - this clown is why. Even if badly advised by his other officials, the fact his mate tells the ref it was just banter should be enough. But no.

Another modern football family which didn't work out. Together all their lives but only lasted a few years of marriage. Almost as bizarre as the red card!

His son looks almost exactly like him :-)

About the RC, initially I had the same reaction as you. However, thinking about this some more, I believe the ref made the right call. Problem is, where do you draw the line? Like, "broke his leg, but hey, he is my mate"? And yes, I realize it's not quite the same. However, there are some actions that are inherently dangerous, and IMHO it's best to treat them as "black & white" rather than "shades of grey".

If the victim is defending the perp and saying it was banter, the ref really should listen to that. No player is going to do that unless it's the truth. A leg break victim is unlikely to defend the offender!

I did see the video and I do follow MLS, so I am not questioning the friendship between the two :-). Still, I think there are situations where "zero tolerance" is justified. Arguably, this is one of them.

Bit harsh but can't expect much from the MLS.

Poor Kaka'.............

I get the feeling that VAR is going to be a massive fail and mostly because of the refs themselves.

Serie A is going to be really finicky to watch if its applied in the same manner as it was in the confed cup for example

How so?

First of all, please note the use of the term "arguably" in my post :-). In any case, grabbing an opponent player by the face from behind hardly feels safe. That goes for when players are in the middle of a fight as well as open play.

Apparently, I am not the only one who believes this. For example, read the following post, which is very much in line with how I feel about this incident. BTW, I never heard of Bobby Warshaw before today, but he was a professional soccer player (MLS and Europe) before becoming a writer.

It is also interesting to note that Orlando decided *not* to appeal the RC decision (link), despite the fact that it is far from uncommon for MLS to rescind RCs on appeal (take this from someone that follows MLS quite closely). However, each club is limited to two unsuccessful appeals, which leads me to believe that Orlando did not think they could win this one ([EDIT] which is pretty much what they are saying in their official statement: "the Club will respect the decision [...] to avoid further unjustified consequences that may come from appealing the decision made on the field").

FWIW, Orlando has shown they are not afraid to appeal when they feel they have a strong case, and, in fact, they quite recently got a RC rescinded for one of their players (link).

You know, this makes me worrisome. I hope VAR halts somehow, because the Confed Cup experience was very bad.

As for Kaka, I think it was a stupid action - and it ended up with a very stupid red.

Guess who is coming back for six months to retire at Milan

Time to bring the golden boy back

Golden Boy, my tushie. Would rather not see him come back and try to milk the club of even more money.

Not a fan of this rumor.

I see Fishdoll still remembers the troubles with him and his entourage. Well, in all fairness, his first comeback seemed far-fetched and raised a few eyebrows. A second comeback seems to me rather pointless.

Kaka as a player is not going to add much physically, when compared to what he did in the past. His experience, now that is something else. The club spent +200M to build a new team, they should do all they can to get this team back otherwise it goes south for them. Kaka alone isnt solving that problem, but he could actually be 'the spark' that gets things finally moving. His presence and experience in the locker room is the most important at this moment. Someone who can tell them tales of CL nights.

Edit: & while they are at it they should consider Ancelotti as well.

I don't think his presence in the locking room will necessarily be that much of a boost -- but as folks here may remember (and which Filipo noted), I was never a big fan.

Carletto? Possibly, but I wonder if he's the right type of coach to do something with the current mess of a team.

I think the management is pretty close to panicking. There is a general agreement that Montella has not managed to find a system to make things work. Coaches being considered at Sousa, Mazzari, Hiddink and a few outers like Blanc and Enrique.

I believe he has 2 more games to save his place. I kind of agree with it. If we get more than 4-6 points adrift of 4th place come December, we are in trouble. We will probably have to sell Andre Silva and Suso.

I'm not sure Silva will be sell-able with this rate, but we'll see.

I think our management is lost. They've done what I feared most would happen: they turned us into a Moratti Inter. A army of foreign soldiers disjointed and mixed in without much taught and preparation. Now they're clinging on to Montella who clearly hasn't got a clue about this team. You say we'll be in trouble by December? I think we already lost out on the 4th spot, cause honestly - you think Roma, Napoli, Juve will falter? Only Lazio and Inter could do that but they've accumulated a serious amount of points in comparison with us and they look much more stable.

Montella should have been sacked weeks ago. But well, names like Sousa make me think twice. If really all we've got is him and Mazzari, we're even in a bigger trouble than I supposed initially.

All in all, the management really disappointed me.

I agree on the management, from the looks of it and if results dont go our way and fast, this whole team could be dismantled - part to comply with FFP and part to settle Eliott dues. But on a second thought that was always the risk taken from day 1 by this management.

The issue we are facing is the team needs more time than anticipated. But we dont have time. Come season end we could lose Donna and another top player for us. The same could be repeated next season if **** snowballs. But then we'd be in a very tricky position. So im not going there and not jumping to conclusions.

What we need is a change of coach and someone or something that will initiate this spark we are looking for.

You know what? Loosing anyone beside Romagnoli and Bonucci (the Juve Bonucci) would be IMO acceptable. Donnarumma IMO can be replaced, I really dislike the kid now. Who else could be shipped off? A questionable Silva? Kalinić? Hakan? Well, be my guest.

Yes, the team deserves time. Granted. But I also think we signed several problematic players. Rodriguez is good with free kicks and has a nice cross. He has overall good work ethics but lacks defensively a bit. He's a solid signing. Kessie is, I have to admit, a true let-down and I don't buy into the standard "he's young, he needs time" mantra with him. I think he lacks quality, precision and intelligence - all traits which hardly can be trained or gained with experience. Silva is a big question mark, whereas Kalinić clearly isn't up to it. Don't let me even start on Hakan...

So in the end my point is; we spent big but IMO not wise, unprepared and unbalanced. Mirabelli and Fassone had plenty of time preparing the summer assault and I expected a meticulous plan carried out in sync with Montella. But what we got is a impressionstic approach, buying all sorts of different players, neglecting to talk the transfer policy through Montella's plans, etc.

The fact that our management signed several players who are occupying the same position or virtually have no place in Montella's preferred tactics tells much. What tells you even more however is that the management threw in a bunch of new players, realizes the coach has lost track of system/tactics/planning and now they delay the inevitable sacking because - they don't have anyone riled up for the job.

IMO only a miracle can save us this season. But miracles aside, we squandered much of the precious budgetary funds and first season hype on Mirabelli's and Fassone's mistakes and inexperience.

Silvio claims Milan are headed for another sale. This could get very ugly if fortunes dont change

For the first time in many years I really feel this could be the end.

It was nice knowing you Pippo

But really...

Silvio also in the middle of an election campaign. So he wants the publicity. Eff him.

I don't know. I mean, Reuters reported weeks ago that Li's financials and the whole Elliot thing could seriously blow in our face. Afterwards several other news popped out. Yes, he sure needs publicity, but he's not completely wrong as well.

Even Fassone has highlighted recently that they are looking to refinance the Elliott debt. If they are not successful, then adios to our beloved Milan I guess.

Ofcourse all this is if results keep taking us south of the table.


EDIT: also our deal with adidas will end prematurely and will be replaced with a lower deal (yes lower) by another company. Its rumored to be puma.

The daggers keep falling on the clubs back.

I've heard about the premature contract ending.

So, what's your take guys? Do you think we can make it?

I'm keeping a close eye on Il Sole 24 and Calcio e Finanza (two Italian language papers). I don't think things are totally dire. I also don't think things went the way management had really hoped in terms of team performance.

What I'm less clear on is the sources of funding in China, whether there'll be a flotation on the HK stock market, what effect the recent communist party congress had on government economic policy, etc.

Given that some folks (eg the Nano) have a clear agenda when criticizing Milan, I'm not going to put a lot of weight in what they say. There are also pro-Berlu journalists (most of Mediaset, a couple of other guys) who are also ridiculously biased.

I'm not quite willing to panic yet even though things haven't gone as well as had been hoped.

When Marco Fassone was contacted last summer by someone claiming to represent the latest Chinese businessman looking to invest in one of Europe’s most successful clubs, the likable 53-year-old, who has held senior posts at Juventus, Napoli and Internazionale, was unsure what to make of the approach. “I came into the project with some doubts at the beginning because I wanted to understand exactly what their vision was and why they wanted to make such a huge investment,” Milan’s chief executive explains to the Observer. “It was important for me as a European to understand what is the vision that Chinese entrepreneurs can have behind their dream. After month after month working with them, I started to understand their vision. It is a very exciting project.”


Milan have new Chinese owners but doubts grow over Li's resources
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It is now more than five months since Li Yonghong’s Luxembourg-based holding company, Rossoneri Sport Investment, completed the €740m takeover of Milan after almost three decades under the control of the Italian media mogul and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. On Sunday, Li – who has already spent more than any of his compatriots in a spate of Chinese investment in European clubs over the past two years – is expected to make his first appearance at San Siro since attending the 2-2 draw with Internazionale in April, when the seven-times European champions meet Cagliari in their first home match of the Serie A season.

Following a summer spree when Fassone and the sporting director, Massimo Mirabelli, committed more than €150m on players, including the eye-catching purchase of Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus, a 3-0 victory over Crotone last Saturday was the perfect start for one of Europe’s great clubs that have found themselves in the doldrums in recent years. Not since the 2013-14 season, when Clarence Seedorf’s side were thrashed 5-1 on aggregate by Atlético Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League, have Milan played in Europe’s premier club competition. This year’s participation in the Europa League, after pipping Inter to sixth place last season under the current coach, Vincenzo Montella, is the first time they have qualified for a continental competition in three seasons.

Fassone says: “We are probably the most international club in Italy – Juventus has more domestic titles but European football is in Milan’s DNA. We are pleased to have reached the Europa League because it represents an important step and it will be a priority for us this year to come back on to the international stage. But the natural home the club has to be in is the Champions League.

“That’s the target that our owners have given to us. They would like to be consistently part of the Champions League in the coming years. They know that on the sporting side and on the economic side, it changes the life of a club – especially in Italy because the revenues are really impressive. We are lucky because this is the first season that Italy will have four clubs who qualify [for 2018-19] so the target is difficult, but not impossible. It represents the minimum goal that we want to achieve. The club is a giant that’s been sleeping for two or three years, but it’s like a Ferrari that’s been kept in a garage – you need to let a Ferrari out on the track to be free.”

While the arrival of big names such as Bonucci (£35.2m), Portugal striker André Silva (£33.6m), the attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu (£22m) of Turkey and the Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic (costing an initial €5m loan fee with Milan obliged to spend a further €20m next summer to make the move permanent) has already raised expectations among success-starved Rossoneri supporters, questions over the sustainability of the club under its new owners have refused to go away.


Champions League group stage: Chelsea and Tottenham handed tough draws
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When promised investment failed to materialise, Li instead turned to the US private equity fund Elliott Management – which has been described as a vulture fund owing to its tendency to buy up debt owed by failing companies and states including Peru, Congo-Brazzaville and Argentina at knockdown prices – for a loan of €300m, with €180m set aside to help complete the purchase of Milan and the remainder earmarked for buying players.

Repayment of the whole loan is due in October 2018, with interest rates for the larger sum set at 11.5% and 7.5% for the rest, although Fassone insists that neither will be an issue. “We are already working to reimburse them and we will actually do this really early, possibly at the start of 2018,” he says. “The level of interest Milan is paying on the €120m is high of course but not terrible. If you consider the debt that Inter or Roma contracted with Goldman Sachs when they were financing, which was about 6.5%, of course this is higher but it’s not something terrible. For Chinese people, when you see interest on loans in double digits, for them it’s completely normal.

“In a worst-case scenario, because a lot of fans and shareholders have been asking me this, it means that in October next year, the owners of Milan will be Elliott.

“This is really the worst case but, just to ensure, the future of the club is not in the fog. No, 99% we will go ahead with Mr Li and we hope our project will be successful. But in the worst case, be relaxed because Elliott are not ‘desperados’ – it is one of the biggest hedge funds in the world that could keep the club or resell it. They would have paid only €300m, which is a very low price, and they can make business, which is their job.”

Yet Li’s approach has prompted a backlash from some of his new rivals. Last month, the Roma president, James Pallotta, was forced to apologise after he accused Milan of “losing their minds” in spending so much money at a time when they have such unprecedented debts, while a Sky Italia reporter was banned last week after suggesting the club’s spending was unsustainable.

“As you can imagine, I have a plan A and a plan B,” says Fassone. “To Uefa, I have presented a more conservative plan which shows a progression even if the club is still out of the Champions League next season. In that case, my investment in the market cannot be high and we would also have to consider a sale of one of our top guys. But we also have a scenario that says: ‘Marco, what happens if the club doesn’t achieve the Champions League?’ The investors and I want to be there but we are prepared if we don’t make it we will ensure that the club is protected.”


The Recap: sign up for the best of the Guardian's sport coverage
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In May, Elliott – who also have a stake in the French club Lille – listed two bonds on the Austrian stock market for a total value of €128m in what could end up being the first step in floating Milan. Together with a new approach to expanding their business in Asia that will lead Milan to set up a subsidiary arm known as AC Milan China to deal with marketing, licensing and commercial operations, pursuing a public listing on the stock market appears to be Li’s main tactic in his attempt to transform the finances of a club that had a consolidated net loss of €74.9m in Berlusconi’s last season.

“Before new business starts, you need a couple of years when you still lose money,” says Fassone. “This year and next year, we have forecasted more losses for the club and Mr Li is taking care of this. He has increased the capital and putting money in. The fans appreciate this man who is not so visible here but is spending money.

“Don’t forget this is the most expensive investment that there has been in European football after the Manchester United takeover. They hope in two or three years maximum to make the club worth double what they paid for it. But to do that we have to perform on the pitch and off the pitch.”

Li is believed to own a 28% share in Renshuo’s New China Building project in Guangzhou – a 48-storey development of offices and shops that is estimated to be worth around €1bn – and has owned shares in packaging companies and phosphate mines A photograph of him and his family watching the 3-0 victory over the Macedonian side Shkendija in the first leg of the Europa League qualifier on his iPad circulated on social media last week. However, despite his heavy investment, the billionaire has been conspicuous by his absence in Milan.

According to Fassone, however, he is in almost daily contact with his right-hand man, Li David Han, who “wants to know all the details of the club and all the strategies we are implementing”.

“For us in Italy, for our culture, it is very different,” he adds. “For example, the habit was to have owners and presidents who were very physically present: attending the matches, attending the training sessions, doing interviews. It’s like an insurance for the fans in Italy to know who exactly the president is and know what he can do for the club.

“To have a president that is not so present, that doesn’t do interviews and has a profile that is partially unknown from everyone, especially, at the beginning, has represented a partial obstacle with the fans. But what I see now the situation is different. The fans globally are really supporting the club and the new management.

““For example, on Sunday in Crotone, Mr Han Li was at the match and I saw lots of the fans wanted to have photos with him. At the beginning a few suspicious people were asking: ‘Who are these Chinese guys?’ but now it’s different. They know more about them and they see that they have invested a lot for this club. It’s not an owner who is coming in just to make a speculation, like has happened with other clubs in Italy. This is one who wants to make the club great again and is investing with his own money.”

But with repayment of the loan to Elliott and a number of large financial commitments from this summer’s spending looming next year, it is clear that Montella’s new-look Milan will be under severe pressure to hit the ground running.

“In the end it was our decision,” says Fassone. “We could have decided to sign three or four players this year and the same again next year, which would probably have been easier to integrate into the team, but with the sporting director we decided to make a big revolution this year. We know it may take a year or so to integrate all of the players but in this way next year we will be in a position just to change two or maybe three who do not perform in the best possible way. It’s a calculated risk, in our opinion.”

source: The guardian

Silvio was the one who kept assuring everyone that he was handing Milan over to good hands who can bring us back to the top, now he's seemingly worried about their finances? What happened to all the love he spoke of and how he was looking for the right people who he could trust the club to?

Silvio just needs to shut up at this point, he's part of the reason why we're in the state we're in.


I personally don't believe that our fate relies on CL participation. Sure you get a lot of money for participating, but the money that LI owes goes way beyond what you'd get for CL participation, never mind the fact that you actually need to have a good showing in it to get the big bucks


I personally don't believe that we'd be terminating our contract pre-maturely with Adidas to get a lower sponsorship from another company. The only reason I can see us doing this is if we got a better deal from Puma and Adidas refused to match it.

I actually read that it was a lower deal when there were rumours floating about that it could be UnderArmour. But that was mostly speculation as Puma seem to be more likely