The pair worked together for three years at the Bernabeu.
In the summer of 2009, Real Madrid made the mother of all transfer statements. In the space of a week the Spanish giants, famed for securing galácticos signings like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham Luis Figo and Ronaldo (the original), landed two of the most gifted players on Earth: Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Ronaldo’s arrival from Manchester United for a then world record fee of £80 million garnered unprecedented publicity, Kaka was an exciting acquisition in its own right.
The Brazilian playmaker joined from AC Milan for £56 million on a six-year deal – and expectations were sky-high given that he was just two years removed from winning the Ballon d’Or and helping the Rossoneri to Champions League glory.
However, while Ronaldo flourished in the Spanish capital, Kaka struggled. The midfielder failed to reproduce the glittering form that made him a San Siro hero, with his progress stunted by injuries, a loss of confidence and being eclipsed by Mesut Ozil, who joined Madrid a year later.
Kaka also didn’t always see eye to eye with Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach was appointed Real Madrid manager in 2010 and, fresh from clinching a treble with Inter Milan, was expected to challenge Barcelona’s La Liga dominance.
However, while Mourinho delivered the title in 2012, his reign was bedevilled by clashes with several members of the Madrid squad. He had a fractured relationship with senior players like Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Pepe and also struggled to connect with Kaka in the same way to John Terry and Didier Drogba at Chelsea and Marco Materazzi at Inter Milan.
Towards the end of his reign, cracks began to appear as Mourinho bristled under the withering glare of the Spanish media. As a result, he became a detached and increasingly unpopular figure.
Under him, Kaka’s Madrid career drifted before returning to Milan in 2013.
Now, the Brazilian has opened up on his ‘difficult’ relationship with Mourinho, offering an interesting insight into the struggles of both player and manager at Madrid.
“In 2009, I accepted the proposal of Real Madrid, but I was completely destroyed there because I could not give what I had given Milan, I was completely lost,” Kaka told UOL Esporte.
“Jose Mourinho was a difficult coach for me and we had a respectful but complicated relationship. When I thought he would give me a chance, I couldn’t prove to him that I was in good shape.
“I trained, I fought and I prayed a lot, but having not received the confidence of the coach, I realised that I could not work with him.
“The joy I had was to receive a message when he left Real Madrid and said that I was one of the most professional players he worked with.”
🗣 "When I thought he might give me a chance, he didn't. I didn’t get the chance to prove my form. I trained hard, fought and prayed so much but without the coach having faith in me, I realised I couldn’t work with him. I was so happy when I left."
– Kaká on José Mourinho. 😢 pic.twitter.com/iH5NwnFWkU
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 18, 2018
Some Manchester United players can probably relate to Kaka’s experience working under Mourinho. Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have struggled to establish themselves under the two-time Champions League winner, while Paul Pogba seems to have developed a complicated relationship with him.
While Kaka ultimately wasn’t able to fulfil his promise in Madrid, it will be interesting to see how it pans out for some of United’s biggest names. There is tremendous pressure on Pogba, a big-money signing who shone at his previous club like Kaka, to deliver on a weekly basis, while the futures of Martial, Rashford and Shaw are the subject of intense speculation.
But Kaka’s comments shed some light on working under Mourinho. It seems that, having struggled with fitness and form, Kaka was in need of an arm around the shoulder, a mentor to guide him through a difficult period. It parallels somewhat with the current landscape at United, particularly the trials and tribulations of Shaw and Martial, two players who appear to, on the surface at least, require nurturing and guidance. Like Kaka, they haven’t received that under Mourinho.
While Martial and Shaw, both 22, have time on their side, it’s not a stretch to say they are at a critical stage of their development. Some observers claim, however, that Mourinho has hindered their progress by refusing to give them enough opportunities in the starting line-up.
That image contrasts sharply to Pep Guardiola, who has been hailed for bringing out the best in young players like Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. Now that Guardiola’s Manchester City have clinched the title, the aim for Mourinho is to depose them. Achieving that aim will be tricky with an atmosphere of discontent.
Reports have suggested that United will back Mourinho’s planned overhaul of the squad in the summer but it will be especially interesting to see what happens to players like Shaw and Martial, two players of considerable natural talents that, for one reason or another, have failed to shine under Mourinho.
Kaka is of the impression that his failure to sparkle in the famous white of Madrid was at least partially down to not gaining the confidence he needed from Mourinho. One of the biggest challenges facing the manager now is not giving up on some of his United squad. While he is expected to bring in new faces in the summer, he should be equally expected to breathe new life into the ones that are already there – something he has struggled to do this season.
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