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WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 57 / 11848.3%WebWeb+AI#57Chapter 57 Earth FlowerChapter 57: The World's Most Beautiful WomanDuring the winter transfer window, the global football world was making frequent moves, but Kaka did not pay too much attention to them, because he was currently following his old man around shooting commercials and endorsements.The most important one was, of course, the cooperation invitation from the Milan City Hall. Perhaps it was the handiwork of Silvio Berlusconi—after all, the old man was the Prime Minister of Italy—or perhaps the Milan municipal government genuinely recognized Kaka's achievements, as they officially invited Kaka to become the city ambassador of Milan.Kaka had nothing to refuse about this. Maintaining a good relationship with local officials was always beneficial and harmless, especially considering it was Milan, where he made his living.The staff's requirements were not much; it was just recording promotional videos and shooting promotional posters, which required shooting at multiple scenic spots in Milan, and it was said that they would be posted on the giant screens in the city center square at that time.Their Kaka was finally doing well...On the way, he naturally met many AC Milan fans, including quite a few fans of their arch-rivals, Inter Milan. Whether past or present, Kaka was naturally very approachable and generally never refused fans' requests for photos and autographs.What was a bit amusing was that fans wearing the jerseys of Inter Milan players like Adriano, Verón, and Cambiasso would often run over to take photos and get autographs from Kaka. Apart from shaking his head and smiling bitterly, Kaka actually signed for these people.The pitch was the pitch, and life was life. On the derby pitch, the two teams fought to the death, and you could curse Kaka as an idiot without him finding fault with your logic, but when you met on the street off the pitch, who could resist asking Kaka for an autograph? It would be even better to take a photo together!During the filming process with the Milan City Hall, Kaka's fan meet-and-greet became a beautiful scenery on the streets of Milan. These scenes were even forwarded and discussed by media across Europe, stealing quite a bit of the spotlight from the winter transfer window.After filming continuously for three days, all promotional plans were finally concluded. Kaka bid farewell to the municipal staff and rushed non-stop to Fiorentina to participate in the shooting of Bulgari's promotional advertisements.Bulgari was the only luxury brand in Italy negotiated by Bosco. Although brands like Gucci and Prada also warmly invited Kaka to endorse them, considering that the target audience of the latter two was closer to being feminine, Kaka still chose the slightly more neutral Bulgari.At this time, Bulgari's status in the pyramid of world luxury goods naturally could not compare with big shots like Gucci and Prada, but it was also an absolute rising star, and endorsing them would not make him look cheap.The theme of this shooting event was solemnity and aristocratic style. Therefore, after negotiating with Bosco, Bulgari's personnel chose the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Fiorentina as the shooting location.Arriving in Fiorentina and resting for a night, Kaka took Bulgari's special car to the shooting scene the next day. By the time they arrived, Kaka's shooting partner had already arrived and taken a few sets of promotional photos.That was a beautiful woman, but she looked like she should not be very young. Her whole body was full of mature charm, and she still looked fresh and tender, making even the solemn Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore seem a bit eclipsed.Monica Bellucci.The world's most beautiful woman!! (Picture)The absolute dream lover of Italian men, a movie star, and a model.Kaka recognized the woman's identity, and Monica Bellucci also discovered their arrival. She turned her head to look at her partner, and Kaka keenly noticed that when she saw him, her originally bland gaze instantly lit up."Hello, I am Monica Bellucci.""Hello, I am Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, you can call me Kaka.""Pfft!"Monica burst out laughing all at once."You do not need to introduce yourself in such detail, sweetheart. I know you, the super star of AC Milan, and I am even your loyal fan."As she spoke, Monica casually took a classic AC Milan red and black jersey from her assistant, held it up, and looked at Kaka with blinking eyes."So... Kaka, can you sign an autograph for me?""Of course."Kaka grinned and calmly signed his name on the jersey.The two chatted casually for a few more words. When the staff called out that the filming was about to start, Kaka apologized to Monica and went to do simple makeup and put on the clothes and accessories provided by Bulgari.The shooting started quickly. Kaka was wearing a full set of luxury goods produced by Bulgari: glasses, belt, silk scarf, watch, necklace, and even the makeup artist sprayed him with a little Bulgari perfume. Anyway, except for the underwear inside which he bought himself, everything else on his body from top to bottom was Bulgari elements.The shooting concept was not difficult; it was just handsome men and beautiful women posing a few times, showing off their looks, and then getting closer to take a few ambiguous photos. Kaka had also shot quite a few commercials during this period, and he learned things like positioning properly.It was just that the sister of the world's most beautiful woman seemed not very reserved. When taking pictures, she always got very close, making Kaka's face burn a little.After finally waiting for the shooting to end, Kaka distanced himself from Monica at the first opportunity and helplessly pulled at his collar to get some air.Looking at his disheveled appearance, Monica and the photographer in charge of shooting both could not help laughing out loud."You look very nervous, Kaka."Monica smiled, smoothed her hair, and walked to Kaka's side with an ambiguous look in her eyes, looking like an older sister teasing a young boy.Kaka scratched his head awkwardly, not knowing what to say.This elder sister seemed to be forty years old this year, right? Although she was still as glamorous as ever, indeed... this age gap was a bit big, and he could not quite accept this kind of woman.If it were just for a casual fling, it did not fit his personality, so it was better to keep some distance from this elder sister.Elder sister is good, elder sister is wonderful, but elder sister's husband can beat you up howling.Monica Bellucci was married, and at the beginning of this year, she seemed to have given birth to her first daughter. This was a rose with thorns, and not just ordinary thorns. Although the media broke the news that Monica and her husband experienced a marriage crisis, she was definitely not Kaka's type.But I have to say, the world's most beautiful woman was indeed gorgeous. Although she had children, her figure was still very voluptuous. If she were twenty years younger, Kaka believed he would have a high probability of falling for her.But now, it could only be said to be a pity.Perhaps sensing that Kaka was deliberately keeping a distance, Monica, whose heart was stirring, also sensibly reined in her hint-filled probings.The two friendly added each other's contact information, agreed that Monica would contact Kaka when she went to San Siro to watch a game, and then parted ways.Monica continued rushing to her fashion career, and Kaka also followed his old man to rush to the next commercial event.Busy until December 30th, Kaka, who had finished all commercial endorsements, finally returned to Milan and collapsed onto the bed with a plop, not wanting to move at all.Seeing that the winter transfer window was about to open, the major giants of the five major Leagues opened their big hands one after another, and the banknotes in their hands were rustling as they waved them around.As time came to January 1st and the New Year just arrived, a smokeless transfer war broke out in the football world.Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. 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WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 58 / 11849.2%WebWeb+AI#58Chapter 58 Golden Globe Award (Sorry)Chapter 58: Ballon d'Or (Apologies)(We are screwed, brothers. I completely forgot to write about this year's Ballon d'Or. The 2005 Ballon d'Or was originally awarded on November 28th, but I got too carried away and completely forgot about it. Now I can only adjust it to early January. My deepest apologies.)Main text follows...In the transfer market, clubs' operations were in full swing, but for the fans, there was one event that was truly the grand spectacle of the football world — the 2005 Ballon d'Or ceremony.January 3rd (originally November 28th, apologies again!), Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris, France, Espace Cardin.The 50th Ballon d'Or ceremony was held here. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or, the big screens on site rolled through footage of all previous winners.Kaka got out of the car alongside Andriy Shevchenko, Paolo Maldini, and head coach Carlo Ancelotti, and media personnel with their long lenses and short cannons immediately swarmed around."Kaka, Kaka, according to reports, you are highly likely to win this year's Ballon d'Or, becoming another player after national team predecessors Rivaldo and Ronaldo to sweep both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year in the same year. What do you have to say about this?" (Let's just pretend Kaka is already the FIFA World Player of the Year; it seems I missed more than just one Ballon d'Or.)Kaka smiled and shrugged."I'll save my acceptance speech until I actually win it.""An acceptance speech? Are you certain you can win the Ballon d'Or?"Kaka speechlessly glanced at the reporter whose eyes screamed "I want to stir up trouble", then turned to look at Sheva and Captain Maldini, who were all smiles."It seems my Italian still has room for improvement.""Hahaha..."Captain Maldini laughed, patted Kaka on the shoulder, pulled the reporter's microphone toward himself, and stared straight into the broadcast camera lens."Kaka is Brazilian and his Italian is just so-so, but my Italian is very good. If you ask me, Kaka is the sole winner of this Ballon d'Or, and he has no opponents!""Ooh!"The trouble-making reporter's eyes lit up. He had already quickly drafted an article in his mind titled — "AC Milan Captain Testifies: Kaka Believes He Can Find No Opponents in the Ballon d'Or Selection!"He wanted to ask a few more follow-up questions, but Kaka and his teammates had already turned and left.As the group entered the lobby, the legendary football stars right before their eyes dazzled "Kaka", who was attending such an occasion for the first time. Basically, all the top stars in current football had been invited by the organizing committee.The older generation included Di Stéfano, Platini, Beckenbauer, Cruyff, Denis Law, and Gerd Müller; the younger generation included Luís Figo, Zidane, Frank Lampard, Gerrard, and Henry; along with Kaka's Brazil National Football Team teammates Ronaldinho and Adriano.Except for Ronaldo, Pavel Nedvěd, and van Basten who were absent, previous Ballon d'Or winners were basically all gathered here.As soon as Kaka entered the lobby, Ronaldinho, who was chatting and laughing with a group of predecessors, spotted him immediately. He flashed his buck teeth and walked over eagerly, with Adriano following closely behind."Congratulations, Kaka, your first Ballon d'Or!"Ronaldinho walked up and punched Kaka in the chest, then politely greeted Carlo Ancelotti, Sheva, and Captain Maldini respectively.Kaka laughed, grabbed his good friend's shoulder, slapped away the mischievous hand reaching toward him, and shook his head with a smile."Ronnie, it's not confirmed to be me yet. Maybe the Ballon d'Or is yours."Hearing this, Ronaldinho rolled his eyes fiercely. He had a clear understanding of his own performance; although he led Barça to win the La Liga title and the Confederations Cup with the team, this record was simply insignificant compared to Kaka's despair-inducing achievements, and he had long given up any extravagant hopes for this year's Ballon d'Or.But only Kaka knew that if he hadn't barged in, Ronaldinho would indeed have been the double winner of the 2005 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year. However, because of his own "explosion", both awards might now slip through Ronaldinho's fingers.He put his arm around his good buddy's shoulder apologetically and shook him gently a couple of times."Hey, Ronnie, if you ever come to Milan one day, be sure to let me know. Although I'm not familiar with Milan's nightlife, I can take full responsibility for footing the bill for you.""Good brother!"Hearing this, Ronaldinho grinned so widely that his big teeth showed. Although he wasn't short of money, who could refuse the chance to fleece a good brother for a meal?After exchanging pleasantries, Ronaldinho took the initiative to lead Kaka to greet the various football predecessors: "Der Kaiser" Beckenbauer, the King of Football Maradona, the Saint of Football Cruyff... These were all living legends. Although Kaka himself wasn't too fond of Maradona, he was very glad to make the acquaintance of the other predecessors.After greeting the big shots, Kaka walked over to the other side. Here, the rising-star players who made the shortlist for this Ballon d'Or were all gathered.Chelsea captain Frank Lampard, Liverpool captain Gerrard, the King of Highbury, the King of Gunners with strong ball-shielding abilities Emperor Henry, the King of Meazza Adriano, Da Fengxian Zlatan Ibrahimović, Barça forward and little cheetah Samuel Etoo, along with Terry who tied with Samuel Etoo for tenth place.Together with Andriy Shevchenko and Captain Maldini who arrived with Kaka, these were the top ten candidates for this Ballon d'Or.After greeting these stars one by one, Kaka sat in his seat under the guidance of the staff, with Captain Maldini and Andriy Shevchenko sitting on either side of him.Even though he had already attended a FIFA World Player of the Year awards ceremony once (forgive me), when truly experiencing the scene of football's highest individual honor once again, Kaka still couldn't help feeling nervous.But in fact, he also knew in his heart that purely judging by strength and achievements, this year's Ballon d'Or was basically his for the taking. Although Kaka in original history only ranked ninth in this Ballon d'Or shortlist and ultimately scored only 19 points, Kaka in the original timeline actually lagged far behind in hard honors.In the 2004-2005 season, AC Milan only finished as League runners-up, and on the Champions League stage, they created the classic "Miracle of Istanbul", watching Liverpool lift the trophy. Meanwhile, Kaka himself only scored 9 goals in 51 matches, and his only honor was that season's Champions League Best Midfielder.But now things were different. Because of the arrival of "Kaka", AC Milan successfully killed off Liverpool in extra time to win the 2004-2005 Champions League title. At the same time, Kaka used his absolute strength to lead the Brazil National Football Team to a massacre victory in the Confederations Cup. Coupled with AC Milan's exaggerated record halfway through the current season and Kaka's superhuman goal tally, if not him for this Ballon d'Or, then who?As for Kaka's competitors, the biggest threat was Ronaldinho, with 13 goals in 42 matches across all competitions, helping Barça reclaim the La Liga title after six years, along with the Confederations Cup. However, Kaka was far ahead with his absolute goal count and Champions League title.Lampard, who was originally ranked second, had a Premier League title and 19 goals in 58 matches.Gerrard, originally ranking third for the Ballon d'Or as this season's Champions League winner, now had his title snatched by Kaka. Gerrard clearly lacked competitiveness among this group anymore.Henry was the Premier League Golden Boot winner, European Golden Shoe winner, and FA Cup champion, but these honors were clearly not "hard" enough in the Ballon d'Or selection!Then there was club teammate Sheva. If it were the cross-year statistical method after 2022, Sheva might really have had a chance to surpass Kaka via goal counts—after all, both were Champions League winners, and Kaka's goal count last season was indeed lower than Sheva's.But unfortunately, it was now the calendar year statistical cycle. The 2005 Ballon d'Or selection referenced performance from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005, and Kaka's performance in the second half of the year was simply too explosive, leaving Sheva with no choice but to bow down.Further down, Adriano, Ibrahimović, Samuel Etoo, and Terry—whether in terms of club honors or personal statistics—were even further behind Kaka.Facing such a disparate gap, unless the organizers of France Football went crazy and were willing to brave universal condemnation to rob Kaka of the Ballon d'Or, this award was basically in the bag.Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. 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WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 59 / 11850%WebWeb+AI#59Chapter 59 Kaka YearChapter 59: The Year of KakaKaka sat in his seat, chatting idly with Sheva and Captain Maldini, while constantly maintaining his elegance in front of the ubiquitous cameras, but his gaze kept shifting through the crowd, trying hard to recognize every big shot.The former and current head coaches of France, Jacquet and Domenech, former Liverpool manager Houllier, as well as Real Madrid president Florentino, Chelsea owner Abramovich, Sir Alex Ferguson, and other big names.Oh, and the then-FIFA President Blatter. Yes, that is right, the bald old man who had banknotes showered on him at a press conference.Perhaps sensing Kaka's gaze, Florentino, who was chatting and laughing with Abramovich, suddenly turned his head and met Kaka's eyes. Kaka clearly saw the old man's eyes light up instantly, along with Abramovich beside him, who was also looking over with a fanboy-like expression.Kaka nodded somewhat stiffly towards the two of them and quickly withdrew his gaze. The way those two guys were looking at him was too impolite, making it feel like they wanted to eat him alive.The awards ceremony proceeded step by step. First, footage of past Ballon d'Or winners was officially broadcasted, and then a beauty came on stage to dance with the host, Adriana. Kaka watched drowsily, while Ronaldinho on the side watched with great interest.The most glorious club in this Ballon d'Or was undoubtedly AC Milan. Kaka was the favorite for the Ballon d'Or; even before the 50-man shortlist came out, the football world had basically defaulted to Kaka being the Ballon d'Or winner.Besides Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko and Paolo Maldini were also shortlisted in the top ten. Having three players in the Ballon d'Or top ten from AC Milan alone made Carlo Ancelotti, who accompanied his disciples to receive the award, overjoyed. The old man's smile hadn't faded since he entered the venue, and his glances at other coaches even carried a hint of show-off pride."Look at that! Look at that! These are the troops I trained!!"After the dance on stage ended, Kaka quickly put away his sleepiness, put on a proper smile, and applauded along with the main group.Adriana, the supermodel and wife of former France star Karembeu who had just performed a dance for everyone, resumed her position as host and called on everyone to jointly mourn the recently departed football legend George Best.This old gentleman was once one of Manchester United's Holy Trinity, hailed as the most talented player in football history and England's best athlete in history. He passed away due to liver disease on November 25th this year. We can only wish that there is also alcohol and football in heaven—the old man had a severe drinking habit...Everyone stood in silent tribute for a minute, and the big screen played classic footage of the old gentleman's career. It was clear his technique was indeed very good.When this segment ended, the ceremony returned to a lively atmosphere. Adriana held the microphone to liven up the mood, and then the entire ceremony reached its most exciting moment."Now, I will read the vote counts for the ten Ballon d'Or candidates..."Adriana's voice was sweet, but Kaka distinctly felt Sheva's body tense up beside him. Although they knew Kaka was a monster, who does not have a little dream? What if?On the other side, Frank Lampard, Gerrard, and others could not help but sit up straight, staring intently at the stage. Perhaps only Ronaldinho remained relatively relaxed; seeing Kaka look over, he even had the mood to wink and make faces at him.Adriana's voice rang out on stage——"Tied for tenth place: Samuel Etoo & John Terry, 18 points."Samuel Etoo's dark face grew even darker; clearly, this score was so low that it was truly embarrassing, and Adriana's voice continued."Ninth place: Ibrahimović, 19 points."Ibrahimović looked calm with a smile on his face. He did not have any hardcore honors this season anyway; being able to enter the top ten was entirely due to his performance in the half-season at Juventus, so this trip was basically without extravagant desires."Eighth place: Adriano, 19 points." Adriano forced a smile at the camera."Seventh place: Paolo Maldini, 22 points."Maldini wore a smile; defenders winning awards was already difficult anyway, he was used to it, it was all minor stuff..."Sixth place: Henry, 33 points."The King of Highbury's face was tight, looking very dissatisfied with this ranking and score."Fifth place: Gerrard, 62 points."Captain Gerrard was expressionless; this score was obviously too low."Fourth place: Frank Lampard, 96 points.""Third place: Andriy Shevchenko, 106 points.""Hoo..."Kaka heard Sheva beside him let out a long sigh of relief. He turned his head to look; although the Ukrainian showed regret, a natural smile still appeared on his face."Second place: Ronaldinho, 148""And, let us congratulate——Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, Kaka! Congratulations to him for winning the 2005 Ballon d'Or with a super-high score of 258 points!""Whoa!"As soon as this exaggerated score came out, most people in the venue could not help but show surprise. 258 points meant that Kaka had obtained almost all the first-place votes from the 52 judges, making it the most lopsided edition since the Ballon d'Or was established.Even though Kaka knew he was extremely likely to win, hearing this exaggerated score still felt somewhat unbelievable. "Do so many people like me?"While he was in shock, Sheva and Paolo Maldini had already excitedly grabbed his shoulders."Congratulations Kaka, you did it, Milan has another Ballon d'Or winner!""Thank you Captain, thank you Sheva."Ronaldinho, Gerrard, and others on the side also offered their blessings one after another, while the host on stage passionately tallied up Kaka's achievements over the past year.Champions League winner, European Best Midfielder, Confederations Cup champion, Confederations Cup Golden Boot, Confederations Cup Golden Ball, 51 goals and 23 assists across all competitions, creating 74 goals single-handedly. Furthermore, currently led by Kaka, AC Milan boasted a record of 16 wins and 1 loss out of 17 matches with 48 points, leading second-place Juventus by 2 points and firmly occupying the top spot in the Serie A standings.Moreover, in the Champions League, Kaka also led the team into the knockout stages as the group stage top scorer with 8 goals.Presented with this series of inhuman data, even the players who were most unconvinced just now were left with nothing but shock and disbelief in their hearts.Everyone played football, so they naturally understood how exaggerated scoring 51 goals in a calendar year was. Leaving aside technical issues, just letting you play through a complete calendar year without missing a beat was a test for many players, not to mention that Kaka also had to fight on multiple fronts for both club and national team.This Ballon d'Or, Kaka deserved it completely! And this year was undoubtedly the year belonging to Kaka—the Year of Kaka!!!After reading out Kaka's glorious record, Adriana formally invited Kaka to the stage, and also invited Ernhoff, the editor-in-chief of the Ballon d'Or organizer France Football, to the stage to present the award to Kaka.Kaka stood up, adjusted his attire, hugged Captain Maldini, Sheva, Ronaldinho, and others one by one, walked over to acknowledge football predecessors like Beckenbauer, and then slowly stepped onto the podium amidst the spotlight. Adriana's gaze had been locked firmly on him ever since he stood up, staring right until Kaka reached the front of the podium.Ernhoff picked up the Ballon d'Or trophy from the table and handed it to Kaka with a kind smile."Congratulations child, you deserve it, and having you is even an honor for the Ballon d'Or.""Thank you, it is also my honor."Kaka took the Ballon d'Or, suppressed his beating heart, hugged Ernhoff amicably, hugged Adriana to greet her, and then turned around to face the hundreds of gazes below.The acceptance speech he had originally prepared had long been forgotten due to excitement. Now, looking at those familiar big shots and star players below, Kaka's mind went completely blank."What should I say?"Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributorCh. 59 / 11850%Ch. 59 / 11850%ReadDisplaySettingsMoreWTR-LAB

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WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 60 / 11850.8%WebWeb+AI#60Chapter 60 Bringing Talent to BulgariChapter 60 Bringing Talent to Bulgari"Cough cough... Uh..."His throat was slightly dry from tension, and Kaka gave a soft cough, steadying the honor that had arrived two years ahead of schedule compared to the original timeline, leaving him momentarily speechless.The crowd below let out a good-natured laugh, and Kaka awkwardly shrugged, raising a hand to adjust the microphone."Everyone knows this is my first time getting this big guy, and I really don't have much experience giving acceptance speeches. When I stand here next time, I think my performance will definitely be fine then.""To be honest, this guy is a bit heavier than I imagined. When I first took it over, I even had some doubts whether Paolo secretly swapped my trophy."Paolo Maldini, who was being cued, burst into loud laughter, mischievously using his hand to prop up a bulge under his suit, pretending the trophy was hidden inside.Kaka grinned, raised a finger to point at him, and cast his gaze toward Ronaldinho, who was grinning and smiling stupidly."Ronnie, don't be mad. I guess you originally planned to use an Elastico to shake off the trophy tonight, only to find that I run just a little bit faster than you. Hahaha, don't worry, you are still the protagonist tonight, and I will cede the center spot to you during the group photo."Ronaldinho shook his head with a helpless expression, but the smile at the corner of his mouth never faded away.Immediately afterwards, Kaka's gaze turned to Andriy Shevchenko."Andriy, to be honest, I finally caught up to you. No one understands how agonizing it is for us midfielders when your striker is a Ballon d'Or winner. Now it's good, I've decided to be more casual with my passing in future matches; the feeling of holding back a breath is simply too uncomfortable."Sheva smiled bitterly and nodded. Although he and Kaka were each other's most important competitors this season due to salary and media reasons, he liked the Brazilian, and they were still the best of friends.After bantering with Sheva, Kaka originally wanted to tease Gerrard and the others, but thinking about the Istanbul interception incident, he managed to hold back his words, lest Gerrard's facial expression management lose control from the banter, which would make things hard to wrap up.Therefore, his gaze turned toward Carlo Ancelotti, who had been watching the stage with a smiling expression all along."Mr. Coach, thank you for your trust and cultivation. After all, I am also a Ballon d'Or winner now. Can I apply to no longer help Andrea Pirlo pick up balls when taking free kicks during future team training matches—of course, if he is willing to treat me to steak for a month, I can withdraw this application."Ancelotti wore an expression of reflected glory. When the camera was shoved over, he nodded affirmatively and smiled, saying he would talk to Andrea Pirlo about it.After bantering around with his good friends and coach, Kaka routinely expressed his respect and admiration for the big shots sitting around below. Finally, he smiled, raised the trophy, shook it, and looked at the camera with sincere eyes."Seriously speaking, thank you to all my teammates, thank you to the coach, and even more thank you to my parents, my agent Gaetata, and especially Gatba—every time he tackled me in training, it made me feel that thirty percent of the credit for this Ballon d'Or trophy belongs to Gatba. Also thank you God for allowing me to receive this prestigious honor.""Finally, I want to say—this is not the end. I will come to this podium again!!""Clatter clatter!"Kaka hugged the trophy and bowed as he stepped off the stage. Warm and prolonged applause rang out across the venue. No one would think Kaka's final remarks were arrogant. Given the crazy level of performance he showed this season, if he could stay healthy, he would indeed stand on the Ballon d'Or podium again, and even not one, not two, not three... not seven!The award ceremony ended, and Kaka took group photos with a host of famous stars. In this session, Kaka truly ceded the center spot to Ronaldinho. Ronnie hooked Kaka's neck and rubbed his head fiercely a few times before smilingly standing in the center position. All the legendary football big shots looked at this scene with smiles, a myriad of emotions stirring in their hearts.Kaka was only 23 years old, yet he had already achieved such great accomplishments. He hadn't even reached the peak of his physical and technical abilities yet. Next, if he stayed injury-free, there was no doubt that the next era would become Kaka's era.As for stars like Frank Lampard, Gerrard, Henry, and Adriano, being born in the same era as Kaka was whether it was their glory or their regret.Suppressing an entire generation, that kind of demeanor made even these retired old guys unable to help yearning for it.As the group photos ended, cameras and microphones immediately swarmed around. Kaka, who had won both the annual Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year, was undoubtedly the center of the entire venue."Kaka, congratulations on winning this year's Ballon d'Or. Do you have anything to say to the fans?""Thank you." Kaka smiled and expressed his thanks, then looked straight into the camera with a straight face, "Let's get acquainted, fellow fans. Kaka, AC Milan's midfielder and the newly-crowned Ballon d'Or winner. If you think my performance is decent, put on the red and black jersey and come to San Siro to watch my matches.""Ooh, Kaka, are you promoting the team? You must know that Milan already has plenty of fans; you can't possibly make the whole of Europe red and black.""Why not?"There was another burst of laughter among the circle of reporters. Immediately afterward, a lightly dressed female reporter raised the microphone in her hand and asked a topic that instantly silenced the whole venue."Kaka, it is said that multiple teams are currently discussing transfer matters with Milan during the winter transfer window, including Real Madrid and Barça from La Liga, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United from the Premier League, and even Bayern Munich from the Bundesliga have expressed interest. They are all wealthy powerhouse clubs that don't lack money...""Except for Arsenal..."Kaka interrupted with a smile."Uh... Yes, Arsenal... indeed..., cough cough. So Kaka, will you continue to stay at AC Milan, or will you bring your talent to a powerhouse club to seek better development?"This inquiry triggered the underlying code from before Kaka's time-travel...He tried his best to hold back his laughter as he leaned his body closer to the microphone."I have achieved success in Milan, and we are still moving toward the next match. Now is not the time to consider a transfer, but I do have other considerations..."The reporters at the scene were all excited. Could Kaka be announcing his next destination? This was definitely an explosive piece of news, a heaven-shaking message enough to blow up half of the football world!Even Paolo Maldini and Carlo Ancelotti, who were accepting interviews not far away, looked over in surprise. They hadn't heard that Kaka was going to transfer! Especially Carlo Ancelotti, whose smile instantly dropped.Didn't the management say Kaka rejected the transfer? Were they lying to him?Just as everyone was listening intently, either excited or panicked, a mischievous smile of successful prank-playing appeared on Kaka's face. Then he faced the camera and raised a finger to point at the exquisite watch on his wrist."I have decided... to bring my talent to Bulgari!""Huh?""Hahaha!"The reporters waiting for big news were stunned, and immediately followed by helpless head-shaking and smiling, while Ancelotti directly couldn't help laughing out loud.This kid really gave me a scare. Didn't he know I am an old man with a not-so-good heart?Paolo Maldini helplessly watched Kaka squeeze out from the pile of reporters, and couldn't help reaching out to ruffle Kaka's fine hair.I don't know who taught him, teaching such a well-behaved good boy to be so whimsical and quirky?Could it be Alessandro Nesta? Or Gennaro Gattuso? Could it be Cafu?Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. 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v1.13.10

WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 61 / 11851.7%WebWeb+AI#61Chapter 61 The Flames of War ReigniteChapter 61 Flames of War ReigniteKaka's interview and post-match remarks at the Ballon d'Or award ceremony sparked a frenzy. Indeed, some fans who had just been introduced to football watched the broadcast on television, saw the peerless Ballon d'Or winner who looked like a jade-like noble in mortal realms, listened to his words, and became a new batch of Rossoneri fans.However, more football fans happily played along with Kaka's meme, "taking one's talent to somewhere else", which was forcefully turned into a phenomenal buzzword by fans.Especially when Italian diva Monica Bellucci took the lead and announced in Kaka's fashion that she would also take her talent to Bulgari, the popularity of this meme spread exponentially. Not only football fans, but even many people who didn't watch football started playing with this meme. While doing so, they unconsciously learned about the origin of the meme, and subsequently fell uncontrollably in love with that radiant Kaka!After returning from the Ballon d'Or, AC Milan held a grand celebration ceremony for the newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner. Even though it was not a matchday, San Siro Stadium was still packed to capacity. Kaka displayed his Ballon d'Or trophy in front of all the fans, accepting their cheers and blessings.Then, to give back to the fans, AC Milan specially organized an internal scrimmage. Perhaps because Gennaro Gattuso remembered Kaka's teasing at the awards ceremony, he matched up against Kaka several times in this training match and even made tackling motions to scare him, making the whole stadium of fans burst into laughter.Once the Ballon d'Or celebrations concluded, a massive bombshell was dropped on the transfer market: the bad boy Antonio Cassano was shipped off to Real Madrid by Roma for a dirt-cheap price of 5 million euros!Rumors of Cassano and Real Madrid had spread far and wide, and everyone knew that he would most likely switch to Real Madrid in the winter transfer window. However, no one expected it to be at such a low price. You must know that back when Roma brought Cassano from Bari to the Stadio Olimpico, it cost a ceiling-level 30 million euros at the time!And now, selling him for 5 million euros was practically no different from giving him away for free.But his transfer was driven by multiple factors, the most primary being the breakdown of contract renewal negotiations. Roma fell into a financial crisis this season, and Cassano demanded high wages from the club after his contract expired. Under unbearable pressure, Roma selling Cassano was not without the intention of cashing out, though 5 million euros was still a bit abstract.On the other hand, perhaps due to Cassano's own problems, this guy lived up to his nickname of bad boy. As his attention increased and he made more money, or perhaps because he got carried away, his relationship with the Wolf King Francesco Totti and Roma's new manager Luciano Spalletti deteriorated sharply, which ultimately facilitated Real Madrid's dirt-cheap bargain hunt.Following the big news of Cassano's transfer, AC Milan sent Christian Vieri to Ligue 1 side Monaco with a transfer fee of 5 million pounds, and Manchester United brought back their defensive core for the next five years, Nemanja Vidić, from Spartak Moscow.In addition, teams like Arsenal, West Ham United, Juventus, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio also made moves.The winter transfer market was quite active, but Serie A did not stop its pace there.On January 8, 2006, the 18th round of the League kicked off, with AC Milan defending their home ground to welcome the challenge of mid-table team Parma.The reason Parma was called a mid-table team was mainly based on their performance this season. If one looked at the previous season, Parma, which narrowly avoided relegation, would be a proper source of easy points. Milan's current starting striker Alberto Gilardino was Parma's forward core last season.However, the combat power displayed by Parma in this match looked nothing like that of a mid-to-lower-table team. Perhaps the recent winning streak made the Milan players a bit too complacent, as they almost capsized against Parma.Cafu continued to miss the match due to injury. As he grew older, his body's durability and recovery speed inevitably declined. Šimić took over Cafu's right-back position.Jaap Stam was rested, and Alessandro Nesta returned from injury.In the 24th minute of the match, Parma's corner kick caused Dida to fumble the catch, and defender younger Fabio Cannavaro scored the first goal with a close-range follow-up shot.Just three minutes later, Kaka's cross from the left flank caused the Parma captain to score an own goal while clearing the ball at the near post.AC Milan 1:1 Parma.Perhaps due to the excessive consumption of energy and emotion during the previous offseason, Kaka did not have much desire to attack in this match. Therefore, he acted as a role of dropping back to defend and organizing the frontcourt on the pitch, supplying ammunition for Sheva and Alberto Gilardino.Without the threat of Kaka's strong breakthrough in the middle, Parma played more and more boldly and openly.In the 31st minute, Parma attacking midfielder Marchionni received a pass from the rear by Contini, dribbled inward, and suddenly raised his foot to shoot. Dida lacked concentration, and the football brushed past his fingertips and drilled into the net.Milan trailed 1:2.In the 40th minute, Kaka received a diagonal pass from Clarence Seedorf, dribbled past a defender, chipped a pass into the penalty area, and Alberto Gilardino scored with a fierce close-range shot to equalize the score.Then in the 66th minute of the second half, it was once again Kaka's breakthrough on the flank. After continuously overtaking Simplicio, Contini, and younger Fabio Cannavaro with his ball-rolling speed, he passed the ball towards the goalmouth. Andriy Shevchenko leaped high and scored with a header, giving AC Milan the lead for the first time.But soon Marchionni used the same advancement, inward dribbling, and shot to tenaciously tie the game back to 3:3.Kaka looked at the Parma players celebrating wildly after the goal and sucked on his teeth. These guys were really getting full of themselves...Originally, the commercial activities and the Ballon d'Or had made Kaka a bit tired. He had intended to quietly coast through this match, but obviously Parma was not quite willing to leave with just a draw; they clearly wanted to challenge AC Milan's authority.Then he would exert a little effort!!In the 85th minute of the match, Parma, having failed to score after several consecutive attacks, began to deflate. Seeing that the match was coming to an end, they had basically resigned themselves to a draw. But just as they relaxed, Kaka suddenly unleashed his power!! (Even if they didn't relax, they couldn't hold him off...)Dropping back to the centerline to receive the ball, Kaka completely ignored the central players of Parma, knocked the ball forward, and galloped wildly towards the front.Parma's substitute midfielder Dessena was completely dizzied by his simple, fast triangular stepover. Then Kaka kicked the ball hard and rushed past him. Facing the joint defense of Couto and Bonera (who came on to replace younger Fabio Cannavaro) on the edge of the penalty area, Kaka dribbled horizontally with consecutive fake shots and real cuts, shattering Bonera's balance.Then, at a position two steps inside the penalty arc, he swung his right foot for a thunderous shot. The football went straight into the top right corner of the goal, and Parma goalkeeper Guardalben tried his best to save it but was beyond his reach.Kaka delivered a dramatic last-minute winner against Parma!In this match, Kaka contributed one goal and two assists, Sheva and Alberto Gilardino each scored a goal, and AC Milan narrowly defended their record of all home wins this season with a 4:3 score!After a match that almost resulted in an upset, Milan was set to host Brescia at home in two days, which was the second leg of the Coppa Italia Round of 16.In view of the team's current injury crisis, Carlo Ancelotti and the coaching staff discussed whether to carry out large-scale rotation and rest, or even selectively give up the Coppa Italia front and chase the Serie A and Champions League honors with full strength.But the large-scale rotation against Brescia in the first leg almost led to a capsize. Coupled with the fact that Milan fans' appetites were clearly a bit big now, and social media had even shouted out the slogan of a treble, if they gave up this match, Carlo Ancelotti was terrified that fans would go throw rotten eggs downstairs at his home.How about... rotating the others and having Kaka stand by on the bench? Once the situation went wrong, send him up to clean up the mess...The more Ancelotti thought about it, the better he felt the idea was.Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributorCh. 61 / 11851.7%Ch. 61 / 11851.7%ReadDisplaySettingsMoreWTR-LAB

v1.13.10

WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 62 / 11852.5%WebWeb+AI#62Chapter 62 9420!!!Chapter 62 9420!!!On January 11, in the second leg of the Coppa Italia Round of 16, AC Milan traveled away to challenge Brescia. In the first leg, the two teams staged a goalfest, and in the end, relying on Kaka's hat-trick, AC Milan defeated Brescia 5:3.For a small lower-table League club like Brescia, the Champions League and League titles were basically things that could only be met by chance and not sought by demand. If they wanted to enrich the club's honors list, they could only set their sights on cup competitions like the Coppa Italia, hoping that powerhouse teams fighting on multiple fronts would rotate in the cup, allowing them to steal a win.The pre-match squad list announced by AC Milan for this match indeed fulfilled their wishes.After a brief hesitation, Carlo Ancelotti still believed that the League and the Champions League should take priority, and therefore made a large-scale rotation for this match.On the defensive line, Cafu had recovered from his injury, but because his father in Brazil was seriously ill, he asked for leave to take care of him and missed this match. Paolo Maldini was absent due to knee discomfort, Alessandro Nesta and Serginho were given normal rotation rests, and Carlo Ancelotti didn't even bring them to the match venue.In the midfield, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka sat on the bench, while forwards Andriy Shevchenko and Alberto Gilardino also entered the rotation. Even goalkeeper Dida was rested, with substitute goalkeeper Željko Kalac starting the match.Seeing the Milan squad lacking more than half of its star power, Brescia immediately blossomed with joy, as if they saw hope for the team to go further in the Coppa Italia.In the previous match, they were able to score 3 goals against a substitute lineup featuring Kaka. Now that the opponent didn't have Kaka—at least not temporarily—could they possibly do worse than the last game?Brescia's head coach waved his hand grandly, sending out the full starting lineup to go all out in the first half, striving to build a sufficient advantage before Kaka came on!Brescia fans gave the visitors from Milan plenty of attention, and the players took to the pitch amidst boos filling the sky.On Milan's side, Carlo Ancelotti deployed a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation.Goalkeeper: Željko KalacDefenders: Šimić, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Costacurta, Kakha KaladzeMidfielders: Massimo Ambrosini, Gennaro Gattuso, JankulovskiAttacking Midfielders: Clarence Seedorf, Rui CostaForward: Filippo InzaghiGennaro Gattuso moved from the right flank to the center to organize the defense, Clarence Seedorf and Rui Costa were responsible for linking up play, and the Ninth Master as the lone striker showed sharp form.On the other side, Brescia continued to use the 4-3-3 formation from the previous match, with dense personnel in the frontcourt. It seemed the opposing coach was extremely eager for victory in this match.Kaka, Sheva, Pirlo, and a few others huddled on the bench wearing thick down jackets. Who knew why the weather today was so cold, minus five or six degrees, with little gusts of wind blowing from time to time. Before the match, Carlo Ancelotti strictly ordered all playing players to apply anti-freeze oil. Feeling the cold wind whipping against his face, Kaka still tightened the hood of his down jacket.Although he wanted points, no one would want to play football in this ghost of a weather. This dry, cold weather was even worse than just snowing directly; at least when it snowed, it was slightly warmer.Perhaps because of the cold weather, or perhaps because they cherished the starting opportunity of this match, after the match started, Milan players played exceptionally cautiously. On the contrary, Brescia's players were running wild, organizing a wave of attacks from time to time, but without exception, they were dismantled one by one by Milan's focused defensive line.In the 30th minute of the match, AC Milan welcomed their first threatening shot.Kakha Kaladze made a forward run from the left flank to the baseline and crossed. Filippo Inzaghi, resisting the defender and losing his balance, unleashed a left-footed volley. The ball lacked power and was easily collected by Agliardi.Then in the final moments of the first half, Rui Costa tried a long-range shot at the edge of the penalty area. Probably due to cold feet, the shot blasted into the stands.The two teams entered the locker room at 0:0.Kaka had watched an extremely dull half of the match on the bench and was about to follow his teammates back to the locker room to warm up when Carlo Ancelotti, who had turned around, suddenly turned back and pointed at the sideline towards him."Kaka, go warm up, and I will substitute you in twenty minutes after the second half starts."convex(艹皿艹 )!Kaka obediently took off his down jacket and placed it on the bench chair. A gust of cold wind blew over, and he stroked the sleeves on his arms, unable to help shivering.He hurried to the sideline and began stretching and jogging. Because of the cold weather, the warm-up time had to be longer to fully activate the body, otherwise it would be easy to get injured upon going up.Kaka thus jumped and did shuttle runs back and forth along the touchline. Brescia fans in the stands, who were originally planning to leave due to the dull match and cold weather, spotted Kaka warming up on the sideline. Without a shred of hesitation, they returned to their seats and sat down, preparing to watch the Son of God's half of the match before going home to warm up.The boos at the start were one thing, but that didn't affect them appreciating a superstar's performance as football fans.The second half of the match soon began, and both sides maintained the same lineups. Brescia organized two consecutive waves of attacks, with Marek Hamšík and Strada both trying to dribble and challenge Milan's defensive line hard. However, after Gennaro Gattuso moved to the center, he was still fiercely aggressive, easily pressing them down in defensive organization.But the match was still just as dull. Twenty minutes were about to pass, and the two teams hadn't even managed a single shot.The fans in the stands were getting a bit impatient. First one person shouted, then the person next to him started shouting, and finally almost the entire stadium of fans joined in."Vogliamo Kaká!!!"（We want Kaka!）"Vogliamo Kaká!!!"（We want Kaka!）"Vogliamo Kaká!!!"（We want Kaka!）Carlo Ancelotti, chewing gum, glanced in surprise at the stands filled with Brescia fans, proudly tossed his head, and waved a hand toward his beloved pupil jogging over to the sideline—"Kaka, go on, win this match!"Kaka rubbed his slightly warmed-up body, high-fived Rui Costa who was jogging off, and stepped onto Brescia's turf amidst the cheers of the fans.In the 77th minute of the match, with Kaka's introduction, Milan's formation changed back to 4-3-1-2. Kaka and Filippo Inzaghi partnered the front line, while Clarence Seedorf played as the sole attacking midfielder orchestrating the link-up play. Milan's players seemed to be activated all at once, and then—the massacre began!In the 79th minute of the match, Jaap Stam tackled Marek Hamšík's breakthrough at the edge of the penalty area, quickly passed the ball to Gennaro Gattuso after avoiding the press. Gattuso played a through ball to find Clarence Seedorf, and then Commissar Seedorf unleashed a low drive straight into the penalty area. Kaka turned and executed a spiritually brilliant anti-offside move that was even more Inzaghi-esque than Inzaghi himself, sliding and sweeping the incoming ball—1:0!In the 81st minute of the match, Kaka retreated to press Brescia's right-back Martinez together with Clarence Seedorf, causing him to mispass. Massimo Ambrosini, who picked up the ball, immediately played a through ball giving Kaka plenty of lead distance.Kaka strode forward to catch up with the ball, and just before Di Biagio slid in to tackle, he squared it across the goalmouth. The Ninth Master easily tapped it in, 2:0!In the 83rd minute of the match, Brescia had just kicked off. As Marek Hamšík was about to advance with the ball, he was brought down by Gennaro Gattuso's fierce tackle. With a precise tackle that kept the ball, Gattuso quickly got up and sent a long pass looking for Kaka in the frontcourt.Kaka leaped high at the edge of the penalty area, out-jumping Brescia center-back Di Biagio, and headed the ball towards the penalty area. Filippo Inzaghi darted in from an angle, collected the ball, rounded the goalkeeper, and slotted it into the empty net, 3:0!Then at 86 minutes and 44 seconds of the match, Kaka received the ball at the top of the arc, shook off the despair-ridden defensive player, and amidst Federico Agliardi's panicked gaze, swung his right foot and kicked the ball into the net behind him. A world-class goal—4:0!From Kaka coming on in the 77th minute to the team scoring four consecutive goals in less than 86 minutes, Kaka starred with two goals and two assists, giving Milan a 4:0 lead!The role of a superstar was vividly demonstrated at this moment. Brescia's players had their morale completely shattered by the string of goals, and the remaining time was practically played like sleepwalking.Afterwards, the Apennine Peninsula fell into a media frenzy, and this fiery wave swept across the entire Europe along with the cold wind!"9420!!!The Newly Crowned Ballon d'Or Winner Slaughters Brescia!!!"Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributorCh. 62 / 11852.5%Ch. 62 / 11852.5%ReadDisplaySettingsMoreWTR-LAB

v1.13.10

WTR-LABKaka Reborn, Starting in IstanbulCh. 63 / 11853.4%WebWeb+AI#63Chapter 63 Red Wolf RomeChapter 63 Red Wolves RomaOn the return flight, the Milan players looked at Kaka as if they were looking at an alien.Carlo Ancelotti could no longer maintain his composure, occasionally turning his head to glance at his favorite player, his heart churning uncontrollably.Amidst Kaka's helpless expression, Gennaro Gattuso grabbed his right leg to study it, muttering under his breath."Kaka, are you sure you are of the same kind as us?"Kaka made a helpless face——"I'm sure, Rino, you've asked this question five times...""Is that so?"Gennaro Gattuso still kept his head down studying that right leg, only raising his head to lean back into his seat a long while later."Kaka, what are your plans after you retire?"Kaka looked strangely at this bearded fierce player on the pitch. How could this guy have such a huge contrast? He was only 24 years old this year, why talk about retirement?"Rino, what on earth do you want to say?""Cough cough... I mean, if you don't plan to be a coach after retiring, when you have children in the future, can I be his coach?""Damn!!! I will never let my son go learn tackling and fighting from you...""Hahaha, you damned Brazilian!"...Eliminating Brescia with an aggregate score of 9:3 over two legs in the Coppa Italia to enter the quarterfinals, AC Milan didn't even have time to rest after returning to Milan before the 19th round of the League arrived closely behind. On January 15, AC Milan traveled away to challenge the powerhouse Red Wolves Roma.This season, Red Wolves Roma had encountered big trouble since the start. First, the club fell into a financial crisis, making few moves in the transfer market.Then the main striker—the "Bad Boy" Antonio Cassano—started making crazy trouble, worsening his conflicts with team core Francesco Totti and head coach Luciano Spalletti, eventually forcing Roma to sell him to Real Madrid at a dirt-cheap price.That wasn't the end of it. Frontline starter Vincenzo Montella had recurring back injuries, his form declining sharply while missing matches irregularly. Another starting forward, Shabani Nonda, suffered a relapse of an old right knee injury and underwent surgery in December at the end of the year, requiring at least a month and a half of recovery.As frontline players left or got injured, the current Red Wolves faced a predicament of a toothless attack. Luciano Spalletti had to let Wolf King Francesco Totti alone top the front to act as a false nine, while hoarding players in the midfield and using Francesco Totti's dropping back to organize and make up for the team's attacking weaknesses in the frontcourt.On Milan's side, Alessandro Nesta returned to the starting lineup, Cafu still hadn't returned from visiting family, and Paolo Maldini continued to rest due to Achilles tendon and knee injuries. Compared to the beginning of the season, AC Milan's defensive line had clearly declined massively.Carlo Ancelotti deployed a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, and Serginho partnering in the defensive line. Dida returned from injury, and Sheva and Alberto Gilardino also started.On Roma's side, "Tactical Master" Luciano Spalletti deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, utilizing Francesco Totti dropping back to receive the ball to create a local numerical advantage in the frontcourt, thereby making up for the shortage of frontline players.Goalkeeper: DoniDefenders: Christian Panucci, Philippe Mexès, Cristian Chivu, Leandro CufréDefensive Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi, Alberto AquilaniMidfielders: Rodrigo Taddei, Simone Perrotta, Damiano TommasiForward: Francesco Totti!!...The match began in the damp and cold wind. At the start, both teams played relatively cautiously. In the 12th minute, Andriy Shevchenko attempted a long-range shot that missed the left goalpost, and then Wolf King Francesco Totti's long-range shot also flew over the crossbar.Due to Kaka's heaven-defying 9420 operation in the previous match, after being wildly spread and hyped by various media outlets, a wary Roma conducted tight marking and defense against him in the central area.The Red Wolves' overall formation was relatively deep. The two defensive midfielders, Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani, basically abandoned the defense of the two flank corridors, all contracting to the center to block Kaka's breakthrough routes.At the same time, against Sheva and Alberto Gilardino, Roma defenders' defensive method was no longer man-marking, but harassment-based, only asking not to let them easily receive Kaka's passes. As for the plot after the two received the ball, they could only rely on the on-the-spot performance of the defensive players and goalkeeper Doni.Meanwhile, the positions of Roma's three central midfielders were also far away from the penalty box line, causing both sides of the midfield line to feel somewhat overcrowded. Wolf King Francesco Totti's dropping back was also quite thorough, sometimes even withdrawing all the way from the penalty area to the midfield to participate in defensive pressing.Facing this defensive approach of "the team can lose, but Kaka must die", Kaka played quite strugglingly in the first half. His penetration in the middle crashed into Roma's heavy troop group and wasn't very effective, and Roma's defensive players showed no mercy when it was time to knock him down.Coupled with the relatively restrained officiating of the referee in this match, although Kaka tried multiple times throughout the first half, and Serginho and Gennaro Gattuso also advanced multiple times to participate in the attack, Kaka was choked to death. Lacking an attacking pivot, Sheva and Alberto Gilardino were somewhat isolated and helpless.Both teams shook hands and made peace at 0:0 in the first half.Inside the Milan locker room, Kaka was somewhat depressed by Roma's defense in the first half. He admitted that he still underestimated the adaptability and adjustment capabilities of these traditional powerhouse teams, and Luciano Spalletti's nickname of "Tactical Master" was not undeserved.Because of the absence of Cafu and Paolo Maldini, the team's defensive line was actually unstable, which caused Jaap Stam and Serginho not to dare to wantonly advance to participate in the attack, for fear of being hit by Roma's counterattacks relying on their numerical advantage.This allowed Roma's backcourt to freely manhandle Kaka without worry. Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf were not quite in form in this match and could not provide much firepower, so the situation remained deadlocked like this.Sitting on the bench and rehydrating, Kaka stared fixedly at the tactical board behind Carlo Ancelotti, looking at the central area crowded together by players from both sides, as well as... the wide open two flanks.Weren't I supposed to be a frontcourt free man?With a sudden stir in his heart, Kaka immediately looked up at Carlo Ancelotti, and coincidentally Ancelotti looked over at that moment."Kaka, in the second half I need you to try more to open up the situation on the two flanks. You have the right to switch sides at any time. Sheva and Alberto Gilardino will cooperate with you to open up breakthrough space. You must try your best to draw out the opponent's heavy troop group in the middle, forcing them to pour defensive resources into the flanks. At the same time, Serginho and Jaap Stam must cooperate with Kaka, be more resolute in advancing, and don't be afraid of being hit by counterattacks; we can afford to lose.""Message received, Coach!"Great minds think alike; Carlo Ancelotti really has some tricks up his sleeve!The match restarted. Seeing AC Milan still in the same formation, Luciano Spalletti on the sidelines couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He remembered that goal Kaka scored against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League group stage.At that time, PSV Eindhoven also hoarded heavy troops in the middle trying to suppress Kaka, but Kaka keenly captured their flank gap and personally orchestrated the goal. PSV Eindhoven at that time and Roma today were extremely similar.Luciano Spalletti could only pray that Kaka wouldn't discover this loophole too early...But when he saw Kaka receive Andrea Pirlo's through ball in the midfield, taking giant strides and sprinting diagonally toward the left flank with the ball, Luciano Spalletti's hanging heart finally died."Kaka receives Andrea Pirlo's through ball. Is he going to try central penetration again? Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani's challenges are very heavy. Kaka! Dribbling diagonally, he rushed past the sides of Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani. The flank!! Kaka chose to open up the situation from the flank!""Daniele De Rossi is tracking back, Christian Panucci has tucked in too much, a huge gap on Brescia's flank, Kaka has reached the edge of the penalty area. This is his long-range shooting comfort zone. Is Kaka going to shoot?""No! Kaka continues to dribble toward the baseline, Daniele De Rossi and Christian Panucci are still chasing. Kaka!!! Left-footed cross!!!!""Andriy!!!! Shevchenko!!!!!""GOAL!!!!!!"Sweeping the ball toward the goal with his left foot, Kaka tumbled past the baseline due to momentum. By this time, the two defending Roma players arrived fashionably late.Daniele De Rossi, who had chased wildly all the way and choked on exhaust fumes, felt his legs go soft the moment he saw the ball headed into the goal by Sheva, and he dropped straight to his knees on the ground.Chasing Kaka all the way from the midfield in a sprint to the baseline, he felt like his lungs were going to explode!Problematic ad?Report it hereYou can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributorCh. 63 / 11853.4%Ch. 63 / 11853.4%ReadDisplaySettingsMoreWTR-LAB

v1.13.10

Chapter 1828 - ggg