Kaka rejects Manchester City’s offer

Brazilian and A C Milan football star Kaka has rejected Manchester City's record breaking 107 million pound offer.

The decision was announced after a tense day of high-level meetings between Kaka’s representatives and leading officials from both clubs.

A C Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, who is also Italy’s prime minister, took the extraordinary step of telephoning a national television station to declare that Kaka was staying.
 
“Kaka is Milan and he will stay at Milan. Money is not everything to Kaka. He is an extraordinary boy, exceptional – an example that should be followed in sport. He turned down the money saying he preferred the love of the Milanese people, the friendship of his teammates. He won’t ask for a pay rise,” The Telegraph quoted Berlusconi, as saying.
 
“When I heard that he hadn’t thought about losing a chance for a higher salary and that he put the values of the club, friendship and fans’ affection above all else, I said, 'Come on,’ and we hugged.”

Simon Pearce, a representative of City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Garry Cook, the club’s executive chairman, had earlier travelled to Milan to meet Kaka’s father Bosco Leite and outline their vision.

An unprecedented salary of 500,000-pound a week was also on offer.

However, reports that Kaka felt “cold and unimpressed” by the City offer proved accurate and the club later admitted that the deal was dead.

“Manchester City has terminated its discussions with AC Milan over the possible transfer of the player Kaka,” said a club statement.
 
Kaka’s decision appeared to have been heavily influenced by a co-ordinated outpouring of affection yesterday from the A C Milan supporters who delivered messages of support to his flat, protested outside the club’s headquarters and then returned to unveil banners of appreciation.