Kaka was officially presented as a Real Madrid player in a Hollywood-style show to around 50,000 fans at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
Director general Jorge Valdano had promised president Florentino Perez’s second spell at the helm would be a “super-production” and they did not disappoint with the presentation of their first signing.
“It is a very special day for me. I hope I can write my name in the club’s history books with victories and conquests,” a slightly overawed Kaka said from a stage on the pitch.
PHOTO: AP
The doors of the stadium had been thrown open to the public who packed the stands around a stage decorated with the club’s nine European Cups.
Perez was up first, greeted with chants from the fans as he thanked Kaka for choosing Real Madrid before the Brazilian was given a pop star welcome as he emerged to roars from the crowd.
The Brazilian was presented with the No. 8 shirt and had to be protected by bodyguards as he walked around the pitch to greet fans.
Some of them jumped over the barriers and tried to touch the former AC Milan player who cost Real 67 million euros (US$94 million).
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was signed for a world record fee of £80 million (US$132.7 million) last week, will be presented on Monday in another event covered live on television and Web sites across the world.
But Kaka said he was not worried that another big name signing would create tensions within the squad.
“It will be a privilege to play alongside him,” Kaka told a news conference.
“There won’t be any rivalry with Cristiano. We are compatible on and off the pitch. We are experienced players and there is no room for jealousy,” he said.
He went on to warn against the euphoria generated by the talk of a second “Galactico” era at Real Madrid.
“From my experience I have learned that talent alone is not enough. There are many talented players who have won nothing and others with less ability who have been successful,” he said. “It is good to have talented players but they have to sacrifice themselves for the team.”
Spain defender Raul Albiol, who joined Real for a reported fee of 15 million euros from Valencia, is expected to be presented later this week.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set