Youngest of the penta, Kaká sees ‘no problem’ in a foreigner ahead of the selection

The generation that is in its 20s did not see Brazil be world champion in 2002.

Kaká was exactly in that age group when he helped the team to win the penta as the youngest of the squad commanded by Luiz Felipe Scolari, in South Korea and Japan.

Two decades after that feat, hanging up his boots in 2017, the former athlete remains connected to football. Today, he likes to define himself as a sports scholar.

“I wanted to learn other areas, such as management, marketing and finance. So, I started taking several courses”, he told Sheetat an event in São Paulo where he presented himself as an ambassador for Rise Academy, a soccer institute for children aged 5 to 13 years.

When talking about the project, the former midfielder highlighted that he was looking for something to unite sport with the education of children. “As a father, I believe that this is the way for us to form a winning generation.”

As a player, he already thought so. Of the coaches he has worked with throughout his career, he likes to highlight his period alongside Carlo Ancelotti, 63, currently in charge of Real Madrid.

The Italian was his first coach in Europe, in 2003, when he left São Paulo for Milan. Under the direction of the Italian, the Brazilian lived the peak of his career and was elected the best in the world in 2007, in addition to having collected titles such as the Champions League and the Club World Cup.

For the former athlete, what separates Ancelotti from the other coaches is his management skills. “He’s very good technically and tactically, but the difference is the way he deals with people,” he says. “The biggest difficulty in football is making a squad with 30 players, with different interests, converging on a greater interest. And Ancelotti knows how to do that.”

Kaká is part of an extensive list of players honed in the Italian’s hands. In addition to him, there are several Brazilians in this group, including names that will be in the next Cup, such as midfielder Casemiro and striker Vinicius Junior.

These are people who, for Kaká, will have a differentiated preparation for the World Cup. “They will be able to arrive at the Cup much more confident. We can already see that, even with Rodrygo, who has been joining the team”, he said, citing another Brazilian from Real Madrid.

As someone who has built much of his career in Europe, where he also played for the Madrid giants, the former midfielder does not hesitate when asked if he would like to see a foreign coach in the Brazilian national team, like Ancelotti. “I don’t see any problem with having a foreigner in the selection. The most important thing is the selection process, which is not punctual, but rather a long-term project, as it was with Tite.”

Kaká also has long-term projects. After graduating in sports management at FGV (Fundação Getúlio Vargas) and taking the football technicians course at CBF (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol), in November he will finish another management course, this time certified by Uefa (Union of European Federations). of football).

For now, he doesn’t talk about where he intends to work from now on and says he’s “watchful for opportunities that may appear.”

A vacancy that may arise at São Paulo, the club that revealed it. With the departure of the former midfielder Alex from the position of coach of the under-20 team, Kaka will be able to take charge of the base where he took his first steps.

Until he advances on this issue, he wants to spend the next few days celebrating the 20th anniversary of the achievement that gave him international recognition. “Reliving those moments is always a great emotion. It was something unique.”