Former Ballon d’Or winner open up on ‘difficult’ Mourinho

Jose Mourinho “was a difficult coach” with whom Kaka enjoyed a “respectful but complicated relationship” at Real Madrid.

Kaka joined Real in 2009 after establishing himself as one of the world’s best players at AC Milan.

The Brazilian was the last player aside from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d’Or, with his crowning achievement coming in 2007.

He was briefly the most expensive player in the world before Ronaldo joined him in Spain, but his time was ravaged by injuries.

Kaka played 33 games in his debut season but just 20 in his second, coinciding with Mourinho’s first campaign in charge.

The retired 35-year-old says it was “difficult” to work under Mourinho, but that Portuguese brought him “joy” after they parted ways.

“In 2009 I accepted the proposal of Real Madrid, but I was completely destroyed there because I could not give what I had given Milan, I was completely lost,” he told UOL Esporte.

“Jose Mourinho was a difficult coach for me and we had a respectful but complicated relationship.

“When I thought he would give me a chance, I couldn’t prove to him that I was in good shape.

“I trained, I fought and I prayed a lot, but having not received the confidence of the coach, I realised that I could not work with him.

“The joy I had was to receive a message when he left Real Madrid and said that I was one of the most professional players he worked with.”

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