MILAN (AP) - AC Milan needs to sell Kaka to make up for huge financial losses, club president Silvio Berlusconi and chairman Adriano Galliani said.

"Even Milan has had unthinkable balance sheets with losses of €50-60 million per year," said Berlusconi, who is also Italy's premier. "In these times we can't afford these losses."

"Milan wants Kaka but it also wants players who are completely sure they want to play for Milan," Berlusconi told Telelombardia TV on Thursday. "Kaka is an extraordinary kid but he still has a relatively short career and it's only right that he thinks about his (finances).

"An increase to Kaka's salary would require an increase for everyone on the squad and Milan cannot permit that."

Real Madrid has reportedly offered €65 million ($92 million) for Kaka and a five-year contract with an annual salary of €9.5 million ($13.5 million).

Chelsea, meanwhile, denied that it had made an even bigger offer for the 2007 world player of the year.

"The Chelsea solution does not exist," Galliani said in Thursday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "Kaka will go to Real or he will stay at Milan."

Berlusconi indicated that no deal would be finalized with Madrid until after this weekend's European Parliament elections.

"I'm in the middle of an election campaign and therefore I've asked that Kaka and Galliani not take any decision before they have the chance to have dinner with me, and I think I'll invite (Kaka) Monday," Berlusconi told Canale Italia TV. "I'm among those that would like Kaka to stay."

Kaka turned down a world-record €100 million offer from Manchester City in January.

"In January, Kaka did not want to go to Manchester City, but he would go to Madrid," Galliani said. "The reasons for Kaka's departure are exclusively economical. Even (his) heart has to face the numbers."

"Real earns twice as much as Milan," Galliani said. "It has its own stadium, it doesn't divide ticket sails or TV rights with other teams and it's helped by a fiscal setup that allows it to offer players higher salaries while spending the same gross sum."

Kaka flew home on Monday to Brazil to join the national team for World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup.

Kaka's impending departure has fueled rumors that other players could also leave Milan. Carlo Ancelotti reportedly wants midfielder Andrea Pirlo to follow him to Chelsea, and the agent for striker Alexandre Pato has said his client is reconsidering his options.

"The other top players are not for sale," Galliani said. "Now we're going to get a great striker."

When Kaka asked to increase his salary???

Galliani is an idiot

Who goes next year then?

If galliani didn't give out such ludicrous contracts then maybe we wouldn't lose so much...

What he meant was that even if both Real and Milan gave Kaka the same 9.5 million a year, because of the reduced taxation, Kaka would earn more in Madrid.

Serie A lost £2bn in 10 years


Serie A has wasted £2bn over the last 10 years through individually bargained television deals, according to a study carried out by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Unlike the Premier League, every team competing in Serie A has sold its own television rights, leading to great imbalances.

Consequently, the big clubs like Milan, Juventus, Inter and Roma have been able to get substantially more than the other teams that make up Serie A.

In total, Serie A's individually bargained television rights have sold for £800m a year since 1998.

Things will change from 2010 when Serie A will adopt the Premier League model and sell its television rights collectively.

Consequently each team will receive the same amount of money, levelling the playing field in Serie A.

According to La Gazzetta, under the new arrangement Serie A will sell its television rights for an annual fee of £1bn, meaning by pursuing the individually bargained model for a decade Italy's top flight has wasted £200m a year.

The big clubs have to some extent become dependent on these individually bargained deals and will have to change their financial structure from 2010.

Milan have already cut their annual wage bill by £50m through the sale of Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko and the retirement of Paolo Maldini.

The onus is now on Italian clubs to increase their merchandising and match day revenue streams.

This means building new stadiums, which Juventus and Fiorentina have already taken steps towards.

I think this could have been put in a new thread...

Me too but i can't open new thread...