Ex-Milan midfielder Christian Brocchi, who spent six seasons at San Siro, has reflected on the arrival of Brazilian icon Ricardo Kaka at the club back in the 2003/04 season – Brocchi’s third campaign in the Rossoneri colors. The enigmatic playmaker was signed from Sao Paulo when he was still relatively unknown despite garnering interest from other European clubs.
Speaking to the Calciatori Ignoranti channel on Twitch (via MilanNews), Brocchi reminisced the aura around the dressing room when Kaka first joined.
“He was the child who arrived in the group that was already formed, they presented him to us as a player with different characteristics from the real ones. He showed up with these goggles that looked like he came out of a class and therefore no one gave him the proper importance.”
However, that soon changed when the No.22 started showing off his abilities and prowess on the ball, leaving his teammates wondering who he was.
“Then on the first touch he left two in place and on the second he scored. We looked at each other as if to say, ‘Who is this? Maybe you don’t know who you just got either.’ He was clean outside, devastating on the field.”
Brocchi coach then drew a comparison between his Milan teammate Kaka to another superstar who emerged during the same time, Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Unlike the Portuguese, maybe he was less spectacular but he had incredible strength. You loved him, he was humble, off the field he almost seemed like another person, although over the years let’s say he became smarter in his way of life.”
Kaka went on to etch a legacy like very few other players, registering 104 goals in 307 appearances for the Rossoneri in two separate spells – sandwiched with a sub-par stint at Real Madrid.