Kaká

This is a Portuguese name; the first family name is dos Santos and the second is Leite.
Kaká
Kaka061115.jpg
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Date of birth April 22, 1982 (1982-04-22) (age 27)
Place of birth    Brasília, Brazil
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Attacking Midfielder[1]
Club information
Current club A.C. Milan
Number 22
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2001–2003
2003–		 São Paulo
A.C. Milan		 059 (23)
170 (57)   
National team2
2002– Brazil 062 (23)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of Oct 29, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of November 19, 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (IPA: [hiˈkaɾdʊ iˈzɛksõⁿ dʊs‿ˈsɐ̃ⁿtʊs ˈleɪ̯t͡ʃɪ]; born April 22, 1982 in Brasília), better known as Kaká, is a Brazilian midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club A.C. Milan and the Brazilian national team. He was the recipient of both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007, and was named in the 2008 Time 100.[2][3]

Contents

Early life

Kaká was born to Simone Cristina dos Santos Leite and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite. His younger brother, Rodrigo (known as Digão), is also a professional footballer. When he was seven, his family moved to São Paulo.[4] His school had arranged him in a local youth club called "Alphaville," who qualified to the final in a local tournament.[5] There he was discovered by São Paulo FC who offered an assignment.[6]

At the age of eighteen, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident, but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.[7]

Club career

Kaká began his club career with São Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at fifteen and led the SPFC youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. Kaká made his senior side debut in January 2001 and scored twelve goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship. He scored ten in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made a total of 146 appearances for São Paulo, scoring 58 times.

Kaká and Brazilian President Lula

AC Milan, fresh from winning the 2003 Champions League, brought him aboard in 2003 for $8.5 million, a fee described in hindsight as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.[8] Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and his Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over A.C. Ancona. He scored ten goals in thirty appearances that season, as Milan won the Scudetto and the European Super Cup.

Kaká was a part of the five-man midfield in the 2004–05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored seven goals in 36 domestic appearances as Milan finished runner-up in the Scudetto race. Despite Milan losing the 2004–05 Champions League final to Liverpool F.C. on penalties, he was nonetheless voted the best midfielder of the tournament.

2005–06 saw Kaká score his first hat-tricks in domestic and European competition. On April 9, 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo Verona; all three goals were scored in the second half. Seven months later, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over RSC Anderlecht. The football world was beginning to take notice of a superstar in the making.

Kaká with Milan

Shevchenko's departure to Chelsea FC for the 2006–07 season allowed Kaká to become the focal point of Milan's offense as he alternated between the midfield and striker positions. He finished as the top scorer in the 2006–07 CL campaign with ten goals. One of them helped the Rossoneri eliminate Celtic FC in the quarterfinals on a 1–0 aggregate, and three others proved fatal for Manchester United in the semifinals despite Milan losing the first leg. Following the convincing 3–0 second-leg defeat at the San Siro on May 2 that knocked out the English champions, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson declared that Kaká was one of the two best players in the world, alongside his charge Cristiano Ronaldo.

Kaká added the Champions League title to his trophy case for the first time when Milan defeated Liverpool on May 23, 2007. Though he went scoreless, he won a free kick that led to the first of Filippo Inzaghi's two goals, and provided the assist for the second. For his stellar play throughout the competition, he was voted the Vodafone Fans' Player of the Season in a poll of over 100,000 UEFA.com visitors. On August 30, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 CL season and Club Footballer of the Year.[9]

He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Calcio Catania on September 30, and on October 5, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year. On December 2, 2007, Kaká became the eighth Milan player to win the Ballon D'or, as he finished with a decisive 444 votes, long ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo.[10] He signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan on February 29, 2008.[11]

Due to his contributions on and off the pitch, Time magazine named Kaká in the Time 100, a list of the world's 100 most influential people, on May 2.[12] On October 14, he cast his footprints into the Estádio do Maracanã's sidewalk of fame, in a section dedicated to the memory of the country's top players.[13]

National team

Kaká on the road with Brazil

Kaká made his debut for Brazil in January 2002 against Bolivia. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 25 minutes[14], all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica. During the final against Germany, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was reportedly about to send Kaká on as a substitute, but he never made it into the game as the referee did not notice him waving on the sidelines to enter the pitch.

In 2003, Kaká was the captain for the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil finished as runner-up as he scored three goals. He finished in joint tenth place in the voting for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award, and finished two spots higher the following year. On June 29, 2005, he scored in a 4–1 defeat of Argentina in the 2005 Confederations Cup final.

Kaká started in his first FIFA World Cup finals in 2006, scoring his first and only goal in a 1–0 victory over Croatia in Brazil's opening match. He was unable to keep up the momentum for the remainder of the tournament, as Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals. On September 3, he received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick and taking the ball down three quarters of the field to score.

On May 12, 2007, citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League and national team play, Kaká openly bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil won.[15] He returned to play 70 minutes of Brazil's 1–1 friendly draw with England on June 1, but only 30 in a goalless draw with Turkey on June 5.[16]

Personal life and religion

Kaká with his wife Caroline

A devout evangelical Christian, Kaká became engrossed in religion at twelve: "I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not." He removed his jersey to reveal an "I Belong to Jesus" T-shirt and openly engaged in prayer moments after the final whistle of Brazil's 2002 World Cup, and Milan's 2004 Scudetto and 2007 Champions League triumphs. He also had the same phrase, along with "God Is Faithful," stitched onto the tongues of his boots.[17] During the postmatch celebration following Brazil's 4–1 win over Argentina in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup final, he and several of his teammates wore T-shirts that read "Jesus Loves You" in various languages.

Kaká is a member of the organization Atletas de Cristo ("Athletes of Christ").[18] His goal celebration consists of him pointing to the sky as a gesture of thanks to God. Kaká's favourite music is gospel,[19] and his favorite book is the Bible.[20] Since November 2004, he has served as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations' World Food Programme, the youngest to do so at the time of his appointment.

Kaká was sworn in as an Italian citizen on February 12, 2007.[21] He features prominently in Adidas advertising and also has a modeling contract with Armani, but the latter prevented him from appearing in a photo collection alongside his Milan teammates that was published by Dolce & Gabbana in early 2007.

He married his childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico on December 23, 2005 at the evangelical Reborn in Christ Church in São Paulo. Their first child, Luca Celico Leite, was born in São Paulo on June 10, 2008.[22]

Nickname

His nickname is pronounced as it is spelled, with stress on the second syllable, and is a common term of endearment of "Ricardo" in Brazil. In Kaká's case, it was born from younger brother Rodrigo calling him "Caca" due to his inability to pronounce "Ricardo" when they were young; it eventually evolved into Kaká.[17] He is occasionally called "Ricky Kaká" by the European media.

Career statistics

Club

Updated to games played October 29, 2008[23]

Club Season Domestic
League		 Domestic
Cups		 Continental
Competitions1		 Other
Tournaments2		 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
São Paulo FC 2001 27 12 1 2 5 0 - - 33 14
2002 22 9 - - - - - - 22 9
2003 10 2 10 5 - - - - 20 7
Total 59 23 11 7 5 0 - - 77 30
A.C. Milan 2003-04 30 10 4 0 10 4 1 0 45 14
2004-05 36 7 1 0 13 2 1 0 51 9
2005-06 35 14 2 0 12 5 - - 49 19
2006-07 31 8 2 0 15 10 - - 48 18
2007-08 30 15 - - 9 3 2 1 41 19
2008-09 12 4 - - 4 0 - - 16 4
Total 169 56 9 0 67 24 4 1 244 80
Career Totals 228 79 20 7 66 24 4 1 319 111

1Continental competitions include the Copa Libertadores, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Cup
2Other tournaments include the Supercoppa Italiana, Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. March 7, 2002 Cuiabá, Brazil Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland 6–1 Win Friendly
2. July 19, 2003 Orange Bowl, USA Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 2–0 Win CONCACAF Gold Cup 2003
3. July 19, 2003 Orange Bowl, USA Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 2–0 Win CONCACAF Gold Cup 2003
4. July 23, 2003 Orange Bowl, USA Flag of the United States.svg United States 2–1 Win CONCACAF Gold Cup 2003
5. September 7, 2003 Barranquilla, Colombia Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia 1–2 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2006
6. October 11, 2003 Curitiba, Brazil Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay 3–3 Draw FIFA World Cup Qualification 2006
7. April 28, 2004 Budapest, Hungary Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary 1–4 Win Friendly
8. October 10, 2004 Maracaibo, Venezuela Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 2–5 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2006
9. October 10, 2004 Maracaibo, Venezuela Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 2–5 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2006
10. March 27, 2005 Goiânia, Brazil Flag of Peru.svg Peru 1–0 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2006
11. June 29, 2005 Frankfurt, Germany Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 4–1 Win FIFA Confederations Cup 2005
12. November 10, 2005 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates 0–8 Win Friendly
13. June 4, 2006 Geneva, Switzerland Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand 4–0 Win Friendly
14. June 13, 2006 Berlin, Germany Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 1–0 Win FIFA World Cup 2006
15. September 3, 2006 London, England Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 3–0 Win Friendly
16. October 10, 2006 Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 2–1 Win Friendly
17. November 15, 2006 Basel, Switzerland Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland 1–2 Win Friendly
18. March 24, 2007 Göteborg, Sweden Flag of Chile.svg Chile 4–0 Win Friendly
19. September 12, 2007 Foxborough, USA Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 3–1 Win Friendly
20. October 17, 2007 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 5–0 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2010
21. October 17, 2007 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador 5–0 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2010
22. November 18, 2007 Lima, Peru Flag of Peru.svg Peru 1–1 Draw FIFA World Cup Qualification 2010
23. October 11, 2008 San Cristobal, Venezuela Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela 4–0 Win FIFA World Cup Qualification 2010

Honours

São Paulo

A.C. Milan

International

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite(Kaká)
  2. ↑ Kaka - Times 100, Ac Milan, 2008-05-02, http://www.acmilan.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=66070, retrieved on 2008-03-01 
  3. ↑ Kaká - The 2008 TIME 100, Time Magazine, 2008-04-29, http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733756_1735884,00.html, retrieved on 2008-06-10 
  4. ↑ FIFA Classic Football
  5. ↑ Kaka Biography (Portuguese)
  6. ↑ Biography - fantasticoakaka.it (Italian)
  7. ↑ "Kaka able to see beyond dollar signs" (in English). United Nations. Retrieved on 2004-12-01.
  8. ↑ "Kaka: My +10 team" (in English). FIFAworldcup.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-09.
  9. ↑ Kaka named UEFA's European club player of the year - Reuters Africa, 8/31/07
  10. ↑ "Ballon d'Or: Kaka crowned". Football Italia. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
  11. ↑ Burton, Chris (2008-02-29), Kaka will not leave Milan, Sky Sports, http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_3216237,00.html, retrieved on 2008-03-01 
  12. ↑ "Kaká - The 2008 Time 100", Time. 
  13. ↑ "Kaká - Maracanã Hall of Fame", ACMilan.com. 
  14. ↑ KAKAFANS.NET // Kaka's World Cup Blog - IN ENGLISH!
  15. ↑ Tired Kaká to skip Copa America - World Soccer News, 5/12/07
  16. ↑ Brazil plays Turkey to 0-0 draw - foxsoccer.com, 6/5/07
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Mitten, Andy. "The golden boy of a golden team" (in English). The Independent. Retrieved on 2006-09-28.
  18. ↑ "Interview" (in English). Atletas de Cristo. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
  19. ↑ "Public Chat Session" (in English). RickyKaka.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
  20. ↑ Milan put their faith in Kaka - The Telegraph, 5/2/07
  21. ↑ Brazilian Kaká gets Italian citizenship - People's Daily Online, 2/13/07
  22. ↑ "RICKY AND CAROLINE, CONGRATULATIONS!" (in English). AC Milan (2008-06-10). Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
  23. ↑ http://www.acmilan.com/LM_Actor.aspx?idSquadra=3&idStagione=14&idPersona=53&name=Kaká

External links

A.C. Milan – current squad

1 Dida • 3 Maldini • 4 Kaladze • 5 Emerson • 7 Pato • 8 Gattuso • 9 Inzaghi • 10 Seedorf • 11 Borriello • 12 Abbiati • 13 Nesta • 14 Cardacio • 15 Zambrotta • 16 Kalac • 18 Jankulovski • 19 Favalli • 20 Viudez • 21 Pirlo • 22 Kaká • 23 Ambrosini • 24 Senderos • 25 Bonera • 36 Darmian • 76 Shevchenko • 77 Antonini • 80 Ronaldinho • 84 Flamini • Coach: Ancelotti
Persondata
NAME Leite, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kaká
SHORT DESCRIPTION Brazilian footballer
DATE OF BIRTH April 22, 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH Brasília, Brazil
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH