Berlusconi bottled it, says Manchester City's Cook as Kaka quest turns bitter

20 January 2009 23:38
No deal: Mark Hughes and coach Eddie Niedzwiecki ponder the loss of Kaka in Tenerife yesterday   More... Don't worry about Kaka: I'll be Manchester City's star, says Robinho, the boy in Brazil Watch out Manchester City: Robinho doing a runner is nothing new, just ask Real and Santos Is this the Real reason Kaka turned down Manchester City? - Beckham's role in Milan star's decision to snub£100m deal God guided me - Kaka explains why he snubbed Manchester City's£100m offer MANCHESTER CITY FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB Cook’s pursuit of Kaka has not been the perfect demonstration of how to win friends and influence people. It has been naive at best, grotesque at worst and a lesson to anyone who dares ignore what business etiquette still exists when it comes to negotiating big money transfers. Backed by the billions his employers in Abu Dhabi possess, he has displayed not a hint of humility and instead convinced himself that everyone has his price. Even the clean-living, God-fearing Kaka. That was Cook’s attitude back in August, when he revealed the desire to sign a big name as soon as possible. ‘We need a superstar to get through that door,’ he said. ‘Richard Dunne doesn’t roll off the tongue in Beijing. Ronaldinho brings access to major sponsors and financial reward. Ronaldinho was up for it but he got a call from AC Milan. One day we’re going to be a club that players say, “Manchester City just called me, I had no choice”. With the superstar, it won’t be this transfer window now because they’re too complex.’ On the radar: Ronaldinho was said to be tempted by a move to City - before the Rossoneri came calling Judging by his declarations yesterday, it was too complex for Cook. He appeared to have no idea why the Kaka deal had collapsed. First he declared that Milan had lost their nerve. Then he blamed Kaka’s people for only being interested in the money (rather, presumably, than the opportunity to line up alongside Craig Bellamy and Darius Vassell), before finally revealing that they had, in fact, pulled the plug on thewhole sorry saga. It had nothing to do with Kaka’s desire to remain at Milan. Nothing to do with a 26-year-old player listening to God and putting pure sporting ambition ahead of money. Statement of intent: Kaka shows his AC Milan jersey to fans from the window of his house Cook felt aggrieved by the treatment he and his fellow City representatives received when they arrived in Milan on Monday. No tea and biscuits. No red carpet. Not a hint that they were pleased to see them when they came with the promise of more than £100million. Sour grapes? You betcha. Accompanied by Sheik Mansour’s representative, Simon Pearce, Cook expressed his considerable displeasure as he held court in a hospitality box at Eastlands yesterday. 'They bottled it': Cook ‘We think they bottled it,’ he said. ‘We engaged in a process where they clearly had their player for sale. We had an agreement in place and we shared a common agreement of confidentiality as we moved on. ‘That confidentiality, unfortunately, was broken and it became a public issue. The pressure was building for them, both publicly and politically.’ Cook expressed his dismay that, in dealings with Kaka’s father, Bosco Leite, it soon became apparent it was only ‘about the money’. Not about playing for City. Not about ‘the project’. Not about trading the San Siro for Eastlands. ‘It became about money, as opposed to the opportunities for the player and this football club,’ said Cook. Is this guy for real? There was a problem, he then said, over the issue of image rights. City wanted them as a way of recouping some of their cash. Fair enough, said Kaka’s people, but he would need to be compensated accordingly. Cook said that because they never met the player, there was nothing to reject. Never mind that Kaka already knew what money was on the table. Never mind that he neverwanted to join a club which will not play in the Champions League for another 18 months at best. ‘It makes it difficult for us to swallow the suggestion that Kaka rejectedManchester City,’ said Cook. They spent seven hours at Milan’s headquarters, with Cook revealing how the sense of anxiety was almost tangible, how Berlusconi and his right-hand man Adriano Galliani feared the mob — not the Mafia but 500 unhappy supporters — that had gathered outside their offices. But Milan, Kaka and the Brazilian’s representatives might take a different view. They were not being offered£100m in cash but three instalments of 35million euros overtwo years. And where, Kaka’s people asked, was Mark Hughes, where was the coach? Hughes had been at the first meeting in Germany three months ago but now he was nowhere to be seen. Instead he was at a training camp in Tenerife, dealingwith the sudden disappearance of Robinho. Disappearing act: Robinho After Monday’s seven-hour meeting, when the City delegation had returned to the airport with the intention of continuing discussions in London today, the deal suddenlycollapsed. Cook received a telephone call from Kaka’s people and he did not like the tone. They were still banging on about money, the mercenary swines At 11.03pm, Cook now says, he decided to call the whole thing off. But before he could inform Milan of his decision, Berlusconi announced on his very own TV station that Kaka was staying, having rejected City’s approach. The time between the phone call and Berlusconi’s TV appearance? Eight minutes. A few minutes after that, Kaka was on the balcony waving at Milan’s jubilant supporters. ‘I chose with my heart,’ Kaka told Milan’s TV station yesterday. ‘You all know that I am very religious and during these last few days I prayed to God and he pointed me in the right direction. This is the best solution for me. ‘It was right to stay. The economic aspect does not count. The love that everyone has shown me is what counts. I am now with my family and we are going to celebrate.’ Yesterday, Cook insisted City had not been naive. ‘The world we entered into was somewhat unprofessional. The expectation of our owners is to behave with dignity and maintain confidentiality.’ That would be the same unprofessional club that won the Champions League in 2007. A club that has attracted Kaka, Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko. That even now has David Beckham on its books. City, meanwhile, have Bellamy.   What the City executive said:'We think they bottled it. They lost their nerve. They had agreed to sell their prize possession and we had agreed to buy him. We had decided to build a business model around it which was a little sophisticated for them to understand.' 'We weren’t naive. The world we entered into was somewhat unprofessional. The expectation of our owners is to behave with dignity. If wehaven’t got Kaka it is not the end of the world, we have got Craig Bellamy.' 'We have had a good transfer window...and the journey will continue. This isn’t going to happen overnight. This football club is still building. We are 16 weeks into the owners taking control. On a 10-year journey that is not a lot of time.' 'There is a balance to be struck and a business model to be adhered to. If it was as simple as picking someone out and throwing money at them I would have spent£100m yesterday. Would that have been the right thing to do? I don’t think so.'   Still, at least there's some good news... City last night completed the£15million signing of Hamburg’s Dutch international Nigel de Jong. The midfielder has confirmed he will join the club after agreeing personal terms and will make his debut against Newcastle at home on Wednesday.   More... Don't worry about Kaka: I'll be Manchester City's star, says Robinho, the boy in Brazil Watch out Manchester City: Robinho doing a runner is nothing new, just ask Real and Santos Is this the Real reason Kaka turned down Manchester City? - Beckham's role in Milan star's decision to snub£100m deal God guided me - Kaka explains why he snubbed Manchester City's£100m offer MANCHESTER CITY FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB  

Source: Daily_Mail