Kaka: Should I stay or should I go?

In the summer of 2013, Kaka decided he had enough. He was persistent and tried hard for 4 seasons. He overcame a serious injury and scored 29 goals in 120 appearances, with an average of only 57 minutes per appearance. Add to that 39 assists and the numbers look pretty decent for a midfielder.

But when Kaka left the club where he was a living legend, he had big ambitions. He signed for €65m  and he was dreaming of Ligas, Champions Leagues and Ballons d'Or. And so was Florentino Perez. Kaka wanted to leave his mark at two of the greatest football clubs in the world. He undoubtedly had high hopes, and he had every right to believe he could achieve all of that after six brilliant seasons in Italy. But he failed. He struggled to impose himself as a regular starter and he will never be remembered as a Real Madrid Great.

Kaka had to end his Spanish nightmare. He took a significant pay cut, left from the back door and returned to the San Siro. He was seen by many as the saviour of the worst AC Milan of the Berlusconi era, both on paper and on the pitch. Adriano Galliani thought he had done a good job during that transfer window. But it was a diminished version of the outstanding Kaka that moved back to Milan. Kaka has thus far scored 9 goals and provided 7 assists. Again, the numbers look ok, but AC Milan failed miserably in the Champions League and are 11th in the league, with a whopping 39 point gap separating them from the leaders, Juventus. Although Kaka is not solely responsible for Milan woes, he has failed to light up Italian football like he did in his first spell. Kaka has lost his 'mojo'.

Galliani revealed this week that Kaka has a clause in his contract that allows him to walk away from the San Siro at the end of season as AC Milan won't make it to the Champions League. The player himself stated that he is interested in playing in the MLS:

"In future I'd like to play in America. At the end of the season I'll talk to Adriano Galliani to understand his ideas and those of the club. If I were to leave, then I would like a transfer to the United States."

If Milan were to continue their austerity cure and sign the Constants and Birsas of this world, then Kaka will surely be missed. If on the other hand, there is a cash injection from a wealthy new owner (or most probably a co-owner), then the MLS is a better option for both Kaka and Milan.

Kaka, who single-handedly brought home the 2007 Champions League, two years after the humiliation in Istanbul, might never play in this competition again. He won't play the World Cup in his homeland either. What a shame!

It seems that Kaka is today seriously contemplating his future, but whether he stays or he leaves, the 2007 Ballon d'Or we admired disappeared from the game long ago.

Ciao Maestro. it's been a pleasure watching you...