WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 05: Kaka, FIFA legend poses on the red carpet prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Ricardo Kaka believes Milan have changed for the better since Rafael Leão’s departure, describing Rúben Amorim’s side as “a collective” rather than a team built around one star.
With quotes via MilanNews, the former Rossoneri playmaker spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport on the morning of tonight’s Derby della Madonnina, which kicks off at 20:45 CET [19:45 GMT].
“It’s a work in progress,” Kaka said. “For seven years it was Leão’s Milan, a great player the club relied on a lot. Now it’s different. The team is a collective with new faces and two masters: Modrić is still the brain, then there’s Rabiot. And Ramos is a goalscorer.
“It will take some time to put it all together. The important thing is to always aim high, in the Europa League too.”
Leão left for Galatasaray in August for €38m after seven seasons at San Siro. Milan replaced him with heavy investment, including club-record signing Gonçalo Ramos for €73.1m.
Kaka on Milan’s derby threats
The Brazilian also looked back on last season, when Milan missed out on Champions League qualification on the final day with a home defeat to Cagliari.
“I think all the fans expected Champions League qualification. Was it a physical drop, a mental one? Maybe a bit of everything,” he said. “When confidence starts to go, everything changes. Now the aim has to be to get back into the best European competition. The Champions League is special.”
Milan go into tonight’s game fifth on 18 points, seven behind Inter, after Wednesday’s 4-2 home defeat to Bologna.
Kaká, who scored his first Milan goal in a derby in 2003, picked out the players who could make the difference. “Modrić and Rabiot are masters, they can control the game and set the tempo. Pulisic enchants me with his intelligence, and Gonçalo is a goalscorer,” he said. “As for Inter, what can I say? They’re a consistent, solid team, and there are a lot of dangers.”
