‘Forever a Lion’ — soccer star Kaka calls it a career
Kaka announced his retirement Sunday, officially wrapping an elite pro soccer career that included a final stop helping Orlando City make the jump to Major League Soccer.
The 35-year-old midfielder said in October he would not renew his contract with Orlando City, passing on an offer that would pay him less than the original $7.167-million deal he first signed when the Lions were joining MLS.
Kaka left open the possibility he would play one more year in his native Brazil, take a year off before playing again or retire. More recently, he was linked to a return to Italian club A.C. Milan.
He announced his decision to wrap up his career as a player on his social media accounts, posting a picture of himself kneeling on a pitch next to a soccer ball while wearing a T-shirt that read, “I belong to Jesus.”
Kaka included a message in English and Portuguese that read: “Father, It was much more than I could ever imagined. Thank you! I’m now ready for the next journey. In Jesus name. Amen.”
Kaka told Brazilian outlet Globo.com Sunday: “I needed time to think and take a very calm decision, very calm and very aware of what I will want for my professional life. Then I asked some people very close to me — my parents, my brother, my girlfriend and my brother’s wife, there are five people — I asked them to pray.
“And studying, seeing what happened in this moment, proposals. I went to Europe to watch some games, to feel the emotion of the game there, where football really has its highest point. And very aware, I came to a conclusion that it’s time to end my career as a professional footballer.”
When he announced he would not sign another contract with Orlando City, Kaka mentioned many of his peers who made successful moves into directing and coaching roles. He admired those who took a year off to evaluate their best options.
Kaka told Globo he would need to follow that path, considering offers to work for the clubs where he played and learning what it takes to be a successful director before decided whether to take on that kind of work.
“I want to see and observe a little from afar,” he told Globo. “The fact that I’ve had successes as a professional footballer doesn’t mean that I will be a good director or not. So I want to prepare myself for this from now on, to study, to follow, to be closer to some clubs, principally those at which I played.”
Orlando City congratulated the Lions’ former captain on his retirement and reminded him he is always welcome in Orlando. Kaka brought instant credibility to Orlando City when he joined the club in 2014 after previously being a FIFA World Player of the Year, Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup champion. He played in three World Cups, won a UEFA Champions League title with Milan, won a FIFA Club World Cup and won Serie A (Italy) and La Liga (Spain) championships.
The club used its social media accounts to recap highlights of Kaka’s Orlando City career and stress he is, “Forever a Lion.”
He also was saluted for being one of 11 World Cup winners and one of just three Ballon d’Or winners to play in MLS.
Before he adopted the Kaka nickname given to him by his brother, he was known as Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite. Kaka was injured during a swimming accident at age 18 and it was feared he might never play soccer again, but he made a full recovery and credits God for his return to the pitch.