Former Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has said his time in Spain were some of the best years of his life, despite not getting the playing time he would have liked.
The 31-year-old called time on his four-year stay in the Spanish capital on Monday when he returned to former club AC Milan.
But during his time with Los Blancos, Kaka won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa – something he says he will always remember fondly.
The Brazilian, who cost Madrid 65 million euros back in 2009, failed to fully establish himself In the team, and with the World Cup taking place in his home country in less than a year’s time, wanted to return to Milan to play more football and force his way back into the national side.
In an open letter to Madrid fans, Kaka thanked them for their support. He wrote: “Four seasons of work and dedication. In these four years wearing the Real’s white, I won three championships [trophies] and could enjoy the love and respect of a great club.
“Going back to Milan is a new page of my life, but I’ll keep in my heart all the great moments in Spain being sure that I did all my best for the success of the team. Being part of the history of such a great club like Real Madrid is one of the best parts of my life, even though I passed through some difficult moments.
“Let me thank you all, my colleagues, coaches, all the employees of Real Madrid, the management, the president Florentino Perez, all Real Madrid’s fans and all the others around the world that supported me through these years.”
Ive always appreciated Kaka for being on real madrid, m so sad that he had to leave cuz he didnt have much time on d pitch. He’s like d best player I know. I wish him all d best. thanks “Kaka”.