KAKA RETURNS

Brazil’s national team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has said that he is extremely happy that older Brazilian players like Kaka and Maicon have returned to the Italian Serie A in the summer. Maicon and Kaka have been regarded as some of the key players for Brazil over the last five years, but they have been struggling for form and fitness in recent times. Their participation at the World Cup 2014 has been a major doubt due to the situation.

However, Kaka returned to his former stamping ground AC Milan in the summer, while Maicon returned to the Italian Serie A – where he enjoyed the best spell of his career – with Roma. Scolari, who has a major selection headache ahead of him, says that it is great news that both these players have returned to the place where they played some of the best football. Kaka won the world player of the year award 2007 while playing for Milan. He is unlikely to repeat the feat, but there is a possibility that he may recover form to be part of the squad.

Scolari needs the presence of players like Maicon and Kaka due to the experience that they provide. The current crop of Brazilians is vastly inexperienced at international level since they are very young.

“I’m happy with Kaka’s choice. He is now at a club who can offer him the chance to return to 100 per cent. It is the right situation for him. I am watching all of the Milan games because there is the possibility that I will call him up in the future. He can get back to his best,” said Scolari about Kaka. “As for Maicon, he had a few injury problems at Manchester City to begin with and then he didn’t have the chance to play regularly,” said the manager about Maicon.