Manchester City's chief executive Garry Cook has accused Milan of "bottling it" over Kaka's proposed transfer to Eastlands. Cook returned from Italy in sombre mood last night after the Brazilian decided not to accept City's proposed £108m offer.
Cook always knew negotiations would be tricky, but felt Milan's celebrations belied the knowledge they were willing to sell their favourite son. "The player was clearly for sale," Cook told BBC Radio Five Live. "We had entered into a confidentiality agreement weeks ago but, in my personal opinion, they [Milan] bottled it."
"We had gone through a three or four-stage process in which Milan made it quite clear Kaka was for sale and we made it clear we intended to bring him to Manchester City. As we got to the next stage there were questions they could not answer and I think the political and public pressure made them change their conditions."
In Italy, Kaka explained his decision to spurn Eastlands to remain at San Siro: "I believe I have made the right choice," he said. "To have gone to Manchester City could have been a great project but in the past few days I have prayed a lot to understand what the right team would be and in the end I have decided to remain here.
"I don't want anything else, I just want to be well and be happy in the place where people love me. From this story I have understood how people love me at Milan, the fans and my team-mates have helped me make this choice."
"Milan has always turned down offers for me," he continued. "I always said to everyone to first agree with Milan and then we can talk. But Milan had never accepted an offer for me."
Kaka, who is under contract with the Rossoneri until June 2013 and is the highest-paid player at Milan, said money was never a motivating factor. "No member of my family has pushed me to go anywhere. I have not had any arguments with my father. My family has been very supportive and at no time have they forced me one way or the other.
"There were rumours that this story had come out because I wanted to renew my contract, this is not true. I have remained with the team where I am linked by heart."
The Milan manager Carlo Ancellotti was delighted with Kaka's decision to stay. "Now, finally, I can shout out my happiness," he said. "I'm truly happy because the heart won out, I have to thank the [club] president [Silvio] Berlusconi and Ricky [Kaka]. It wasn't a simple decision to make in the face of a such a big offer."
In the wake of Kaka's rejection of a move to Eastlands, City confirmed that Brazilian international Robinho had left City's winter training camp in Tenerife.