I was 'completely destroyed' at Real Madrid, says Kaka

Kaka has looked back over his career highs and lows, report UOL Esporte, talking about his difficult time at Real Madrid and trouble with then-manager Jose Mourinho.

Kaka in action for Real Madrid Source: Getty Images

According to UOL Esporte, the 2007 Ballon d'Or winner opened up about his career, which began at boyhood club Sao Paulo where he caught the eye of Italian giants AC Milan.

After transferring to San Siro as a long-term replacement for Manuel Rui Costa, he blossomed into one of the world's elite trequartistas over a hugely successful six seasons.

In 2009 he transferred to Real Madrid for a mammoth fee but his time at the Santiago Bernabeu turned out to be underwhelming.

“In 2009 I accepted the proposal from Real Madrid, but after that move I was completely destroyed, because I couldn’t replicate what I’d done for Milan,” said Kaka.

“I was totally lost. In Italy everyone had loved me, but in Spain they all wanted me to just leave.

"Plus Jose Mourinho was a difficult coach for me to work with.

"When I thought he might give me a chance, it never happened.

“I didn’t get the chance to prove my form to him. I trained hard, fought and prayed so much, but without the Coach having faith in me, I realised I couldn’t work with him.

“I was so happy after leaving Real Madrid and returning to Milan, especially after Mourinho said I was one of the most professional players he had ever worked with.

Kaka never recaptured the form of his Milan 2000s heyday, and wound down his career in the MLS with Orlando City after two short stints back at Milan and Sao Paulo.

He amassed 92 caps for Brazil and played in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.

He announced his retirement in December 2017, aged 35.