An estimated 50,000-strong crowd – almost three times the anticipated number – turned up to watch the ceremony at the Bernabeu stadium as Kaka was unveiled as Madrid’s latest addition by club president Florentino Perez and honorary president Alfredo di Stefano.

Sources:     dailymail.co.uk       zimbio.com 

Kaka

Kaka, given permission to meet with Real officials between World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay, is believed to have already passed initial tests. His full medical was scheduled to take place a 9am local time, 1pm BST, at the national team’s base in Recife.

Unless there are any unexpected problems then Kaka will be confirmed as Real’s first signing following the return of Florentino Perez as club president.

The fee is reported to be £56m, which would smash the previous world record of £47 paid to Juventus by Real for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

Chelsea were linked with an even bigger bid for Kaka last week but that was later denied by all parties.

The playmaker remains desperate to stay at the San Siro but the economic realities of such a huge transfer fee mean Milan are eager to do business in order to provide new boss Leonardo with transfer funds. Ironically, it was Leonardo who helped persuade Kaka to join Milan from São Paulo in 2003.

Dr Jose Luis Runco, on the medical team at Real, told Spanish newspaper AS that club doctor Juan Carlos Hernandez had met with Kaka to put the final touches to the deal.

But Real Madrid will have to wait before they can parade Kaka at the Santiago Bernabeu due to the 27-year-old’s commitments with Brazil.

After entertaining Paraguay in Recife on Wednesday, Brazil begin their Confederations Cup campaign against Egypt next Monday and will be in action until June 28 if they make it through the tournament.

Source: soccernet.espn.go.com

After heavy speculation in the media, the Brazilian / AC Milan superstar Kaka have turned down a 100 million pound deal to move  to Manchester City in the English Premier League that would have earned him an estimated weekly wage of 500 000 pounds.

Hundreds of Milan fans gathered outside his home on Monday in an attempt to convince him to stay – and Kaka responded by beating his hand on his heart while holding a Milan shirt.

Here, he gives his reasons for remaining at the San Siro:

“I believe I have made the right choice.

“To have gone to Manchester City could have been a great project but in the past few days I have prayed a lot to understand what the right team would be and in the end I have decided to remain here.

“I don’t want anything else, I just want to be well and be happy in the place where people love me.

“From this story I have understood how people love me at Milan, the fans and my team-mates have helped me make this choice.

“Milan has always turned down offers for me.

“I always said to everyone to first agree with Milan and then we can talk. But Milan had never accepted an offer for me.

“No member of my family has pushed me to go anywhere.

“I have not had any arguments with my father.

“My family has been very supportive and at no time have they forced me one way or the other.

“There were rumours that this story had come out because I wanted to renew my contract, this is not true.

“I have remained with the team where I am linked by heart.

“Saturday’s game was no ordinary game for me.

“I was very emotional.

“Many children brought their drawings that they dedicated to me.

“When I left Sao Paulo to join Milan, a large part of the public criticised me.

“Now here all the fans are there chanting my name.

“Milan is my home, where I am close to and where my heart really is. That is what made me take this decision.”

Pic + source: news.bbc.co.uk

Reports says City have made a £100million bid for the 26-year-old.

“We believe the deal is very close,” said Bowen. “We are selling the future plans of the club to the player.

“I’ve read a lot about his love of Milan – and that goes without saying – but even when people said the deal was dead that was not our understanding.”

“We are still hopeful of signing Kaka,” added Bowen. “The situation has been a surprise to everyone but obviously negotiations have been going for a fair while.

“How close we are I don’t know, but our understanding is that it is very much a strong possibility that Kaka will be coming to Manchester City.”

City are ready to offer Kaka £15million in wages, according to reports.

Source: soccernews.com

Pic: goalvideoz.com

Lionel Messi

Age 20

FC Barcelona

When the Spanish Primera División kicked off this year, all eyes were on the “fantastic four” the world waited in anticipation to see the four superstars wreak havoc on all of Europe. Few expected the youngest and probably least known of the four to outshine his fellow players quite so emphatically

The boy wonder has shown that age is nothing but a number on numerous occasions this year. Lionel Messi brings a complete attacking game to any match and has consistently proven his worth. Scoring 19 goals in all competitions in 2006 and with 12 goals in only 17 starts this year Barcelona will be very happy that the young prodigy has pledged his future to the Catalan club.

The amazing thing about the 20 year old is that he has been able to establish himself so quickly. Messi has blinding pace which he uses with brilliant effect. Few sights in football are as encouraging (or discouraging) as seeing the Argentine pick up the ball on his flank and proceed to skip through world class defenders time and again. Coupled with the fact that the youngster has the ability to pick the right option so much of the time is why his name is being repeated all over the world.

“Leo” Messi might not be the most outspoken player in world football but there is so much to talk about when observing the youngsters general play. With Maradonna tipping the young magician as his “successor” I am convinced that if the youngster keeps his nose clean, he can aspire to heights Maradonna himself fell short of achieving.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Age 22

Manchester United FC

Few gave the youngster any chance of reaching this point so soon after a stormy world cup fall out with club team mate Wayne Rooney last year. The young Portuguese winger however resumed his place in the Manchester United squad, put his head down and worked ever so hard to get the recognition he so rightly deserves.

The thing that sets Ronaldo apart from his fellow nominees is his mental strength. Few people acknowledge or even see it, but he has it, in bucket loads. Villainised by the English press, there were few grounds Ronaldo could tread without a cacophony of wolf whistles greeting his every touch of the ball. It seems that the situation made an ideal setting for the wonder boy to become a finely polished potential match winner, envied by any side in world football.

Whilst Ronaldo was top scorer in a very successful 2006 Manchester United side the young winger impressed even more in the way he raced to his 17 premiership goals, on more than one occasion stepping up when United needed a match winner. The young international has come a long way in proving all his doubters wrong and in him Sir Alex Ferguson has ever maturing young world beater, prone to the odd dive or controversy but a world beater none the less.

There are now very few experts that can doubt the youngster’s pedigree but whether that results in his name being read out at the awards gala is debatable.

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite

Age 25

AC Milan

Better known as “Kaka” a player with a seemingly endless supply of elegance. Kaka has long been touted in his native Brazil as “The next big star” and has now seemingly gone on to exceed that title. Consistency was the key to a personal campaign which saw Kaka unanimously walk away with multiple awards including:

• UEFA Team of the Year: 2006
• FIFPro World XI: 2006, 2007
• UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2006-2007
• UEFA Champions League Best Forward: 2006-2007
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007
• FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007
• Ballon d’Or: 2007

With a list that prestigious he is definite front runner for the top award come December 17th.

Many people waited in anticipation last year when Milan came up against Manchester United in last years UEFA champion’s league semi final, knowing that 2 of the worlds top players would finally square up. After the dust settled and Milan claimed an emphatic victory there was really only ever one winner in the battle for supremacy. The Brazilian outshone his counter part that day and in doing so increased his stock in the race to be crowned player of the year.

Kaka has been nothing short of brilliant and although his club has suffered a serious dip in form you cannot take away from the outstanding performances Kaka comes up with for club and country alike. Kaka scores and creates goals from absolutely nothing, he is unbelievably fast and seems to have been born for the big stage. He may shy from the spotlight of the field but time and again can be seen demonstrating the skills, maturity and grace that make him the complete offensive package and certain front runner for the coveted world player of the year award.

Ryan van Wyk