Kaka: Seedorf is my football brother

Best Player of the World Brazilian Kaka talks with passion about Oranje: “Holland is the best football school there is. Not only are the players technically skilled, they are also smart and tactically schooled. And Holland has something with Brazil. I only hear great things about Holland, when talking to Romario, Ronaldo, Alex or Gomez. Only the climate is a bit of a worry, I think. I would always advice young Brazilian players to start playing in Holland when they want to make their move to Europe.”

Kaka loved the Ajax of the 90s. “That was superb football. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Players like Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf. So young, so skilled and ambitious. And their charisma. I really loved watching them. Young angry men with funky hairdo’s. Their whole style was sensational, how they played… They radiated success.”

But, the best of the best for Kaka is Dennis Bergkamp. “He was in a class of his own. Some say Pele or Cruyff were the best ever, and I understand that. But I have seen Dennis Bergkamp do things that are basically impossible. He challenged science, he made football into art, no not art…magic! People say he was important for Dutch football, but I tell you, he was important for world football, because he made you enjoy the game at a level no one else could reach.”

About his role in AC Milan. “I play closer to the striker, that is better for the team. I prefer to come from midfield, then you are smack in the middle of the action, you get more balls, you get more rhythm but Clarence is superb where he plays and now I can contribute more in the box.”

Seedorf and Kaka have a special bond. “It grew, and it’s special, yeah. Sometimes this happens out of nothing. We had that click automatically, and because we play together for a while it keeps on growing too. We play 100% on intuition.

“It’s hard to achieve this in national teams, because you need time and time and time to perfect your play. That’s sometimes frustrating, for us Brazilians but also for the Dutch. Everyone expects great football but in the old days, you had 7 Ajax players in Oranje and we had maybe 8 players from one club, but nowadays it’s different. You play in a certain style at your club, you fly to some country for a national game and it’s hard… I can imagine the fans sometimes get angry, but it is not that easy. So, sometimes you need to forfeit the magic for result oriented games.
Still, I have a lot to look forward to in the EC tournament. It’s little things, a cross-pass, a sweet trick or shimmy…and as a player you can sometimes tell when two players “have it” and then it’s magic.”

“I think Holland can do well, but they have a tough group. It’s going to be a tombola. France can play devastating football and Italy will always be hard to beat. At the end of the day, it’s just football, isn’t it? It’s not like we solve the world hunger problem or find a cure for cancer. I hope Clarence and Marco van Basten do well, but if the others are better, well…then they’re better.”

Seedorf for Real Madrid, Davids for Juventus…