Kaka closes door on Real

| Wed, 07/25/2007 - 07:45

Kaka ruled out an imminent move to Real Madrid on Tuesday, but the Brazil playmaker also refused to pledge eternal loyalty to AC Milan.

"The fans can rest at ease," the 25-year-old said at a press conference at Milan's pre-season training camp.

"I have a contract with Milan until 2011, the door of Real Madrid is closed and only Milan can reopen it by deciding to sell me".

Real Madrid Chairman Ramon Calderon has repeatedly said he wants to sign Kaka despite Milan's insistence that he is not for sale.

According to the Italian media, the Spanish champs are prepared to give Milan 80 million euros and pay Kaka an annual salary of 10 million, almost double what he earns at the moment.

Kaka denied reports in Spanish sports dailies that he had asked Milan Chairman Silvio Berlusconi to let him go.

He also rejected speculation that he was using Real's interest in him to negotiate a raise from Milan.

"I have never asked for anything from Milan," he said.

"I never asked to leave, or to have a new contract or to have a get-out clause in it".

Kaka admitted that he had had talks with Real, but stressed that "Milan were the first to know" about them.

The player said he had learned from the experience of former team-mates who are "suffering" after leaving Milan that money is not everything in life.

The comment seemed to refer to Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, who has struggled to settle at Chelsea since joining the London club for 45 million euros last year.

But Kaka fell short of promising to stay at seven-time European champions Milan for the rest of his career.

"I hope to write the history of this team, but certain things are too hard to say, because you never know what can happen in soccer," he explained.

On Monday Berlusconi said he regarded Kaka as a symbol of Milan and hoped he would stay at the San Siro until the end of his playing days.

The media magnate and former premier also said that he could match the salary offers of any rivals.

The Brazilian joined Milan from Sao Paulo in 2003 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular.

He was key to Milan's victorious Champions League campaign, scoring 10 goals in the competition on the way to the May triumph over Liverpool in Athens.

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