As Kaka celebrates his 26th birthday, he asks for two special presents – victory in the Milan derby and the captain’s armband.
“Winning the derby has a very special taste to it,” smiled the Brazilian ahead of the intercity clash on May 4.
“When I first arrived we used to win it all the time, but now for the past two or three years things have changed. We’ve got to turn that trend around, as a great deal of our future is tied up in beating Inter.”
The Nerazzurri have triumphed in the last three derbies on the trot and won four of the last five Serie A meetings, including a 2-1 back on December 23.
This is Kaka’s fifth year at the club and, with Paolo Maldini considering retirement and Gennaro Gattuso reportedly leaving the country, he is next in line for the captain’s armband.
“One day I would love to wear it. I am currently learning from Maldini and if one day it does happen, it would be wonderful for me,” he told Milan Channel.
“The team is very close to Milan and when you have played together a long time you know everything about each other. That is the secret of a winning side – we all learn from one another.
“For example, I try to treat Alexandre Pato the same way the others treated me when I arrived, I try to protect and coddle him a little bit. He will learn too.”
If Kaka has one complaint about the life of a Milan star, it is the packed fixture list and he blames this for the spate of fitness concerns.
“There are too many games. Players get tired physically and in terms of motivation, as isn’t easy to be constantly focused. The injuries reflect this schedule.”
