Calcio Debate: If Kaka Moves To Manchester City, Life Goes On

In yesterday’s Calcio Debate a point was made concerning the fact that the sale of Kaka to Manchester City would be the death of football, and that money is destroying the game. I disagree with this statement in part, but I do see money as a piece of the puzzle that is slowly chipping away at the beautiful game, and turning a life long passion into a commercial business.

In case you have been living under a rock and know nothing about the transfer market saga that has unfolded in the past few days, here is the shortened version of the situation. Premier League club Manchester City is currently in talks to poach Kaka from Milan for a price that could easily buy a whole team of famous names. The newly rich Citizens have been searching the market for the next star that will arrive in England to follow in Robinho’s footsteps, and the Brazilian was one of the main players they were keen on.

After reports concerning a staggering offer of €100 million, the Eastlands club have increased their offer to an insane €271 million bid (including his wages and the transfer fee) for the midfielder. Following an offer of the largest amount in the history of football, it is believed that the Rossoneri are willing to accept the unimaginable sum for one of the greatest players in the world today.

The imminent sale of a champion for such an incredible amount is not a turning point in football terms, or an ending to the modern era of the sport. The game has been a business for a while now, and this will go down in history as yet another of the world record breaking amounts that was paid by one club to another for a player of great quality, but it will by no means be the last of its kind.

The sale will see a player move to another league, but the one he left will not lose its edge or collapse as a result of his loss. The game may lose some fans that will be disappointed with Kaka’s move, but the interest will to waver, and the popularity of the game in general will not suffer a great deal. The idea of a player playing with heart for the team that he loves, as opposed to a paycheck, may be dying, but the sport of football is thriving.

The fact is that the potential Kaka sale is causing such a sensation because he is a well-liked and humble player that has always displayed admirable qualities in his personal and professional life. The rumoured sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in the summer did cause a stir, but it was not to the same degree as that of the current news suggesting that Kaka is already virtually a Man City player.

There is simply a massive difference between teams such as Real Madrid, Milan, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, versus Manchester City, Udinese and Sevilla. Though Manchester City may have all the money in the world, and a plan to turn that financial power into trophies and staying power, it is too much of a gamble for a player of Kaka’s talent and ability to give up a career at one of the world’s biggest and best clubs in exchange for a truckload of money. Success takes time and patience to create, and a player of Kaka’s quality should not sacrifice the prime of his career on a new project at a smaller club, but it seems as though money has been the deciding factor once again.

I used to cringe at the thought that everybody has a price, believing that players such as Paolo Maldini, Steven Gerrard and Raul were simply not for sale, but I put Kaka into that category not so long ago, after enjoying his many years spent at the Rossoneri while helping them to Champions League glory on two occasions.

I have to admit defeat however, as it seems that one of the loyal players and a club that I have always respected are about to part ways over the very thing that is tarnishing the image of the world game, money. Although investment in football is crucial, loyalties and feeling part of a team is taking a backseat to the agent and owner driven commercialism that is sweeping into the sport at an alarming rate. Players want bigger pay days and owners want to boast the financial clout of their team.

If the sale of Kaka to City were to go through, as it seems that it might, then life will go on at Milan, and the team will learn to play without the Brazilian. The presence of Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf in the team means that there is certainly no shortage of talent in the midfield, and with the amount of money that seems to be on its way to the Rossoneri bank, they can certainly splurge on a few world-class replacements for the former Sao Paolo player.