Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite

"Form is temporary. Class is permanent."

I remember way back in 2002, my father bringing me up to the Telly and making me sit in front of it. I was looking at a green field with 22 players of two teams, eleven each, sporting uniforms, and a whacked out guy with a whistle, all running after a ball. Football was what he called it. He said like Cricket World Cup with  India in it, this was a game with Brazil in it. I slowly picked up the trades of football from Baba. Soon,  I had made favourites, the winners, like the rest of Calcutta: Brazil.

I didn't indulge myself in Club Football till EA Sports Released FIFA 2004. I used to play exhibition matches, International Friendlies. And with Brazil I created miracle on my Computer. I always played with Brazil and once noticed, a distinct Kaka'. The name sounded so funny then. It should have! Come on! Indians still find Brazilian Footballer names to be funny ( Kaka' and Dida being most popular among the Bengalis)! However, that man there was a person who's aggression, swift skill and powerful strikes used to glue me to the TV. Before long I had a Kaka' sticker on my mother's beloved almirah. I still have marks from that tremendous beating. The sticker, faded, torn, still remains just like I remain. Writing this reminded me of that faint sticker from years ago. I forgot about it. People forget. Like I forgot Kaka'. 

Yes. I forgot my hero.  Rising number of sports channels (and WWE) took me away from Serie A, and Milan, home of Kaka'. Soon, I lost the interest in the Milan-Inter Derby and it was all EPL and La Liga for me. My interest in the game had made me a Left Wingsman back then. In the road games, of course! And with being stuck with the Left came obsession for the Lefts (Err.. Sounded quite wrong). 

One guy who took me by storm was Cristiano Ronaldo. Lanky lad from Old Trafford. And what took me was his free kicks. Free Kicks took me to Madrid and the Bernabue' where resided Becks. David Beckham, the Free Kick maestro. Since then I became an avid follower of United and Real Madrid. Soon, it was 2007. Beckham left. Madrid fell. Once a Madridista. Always one. I was old enough to understand Football Allegiances. But I was still a kid enough to gasp at Cristiano back at Manchester. And not hide my woes for Madrid's humiliation at the hands of Barcelona. 

তবে সব দুঃখেরই শেষ হয় | Soon came June, 2009. The Madridistas had heard the rumours. Kaka' and Ronaldo were signed on at the Bernabue'. Ronaldo, the best to be. And.. Kaka'. কে যেন? কাকা? ও হ্যা! কাকা! The Kaka'! The once legend, the once Balon d'Or winner, now at the Bernabue'! I relived the bygone days. The glorious young days of simple liking and simple tastes for the game. However brief it might have been, the years of Kaka' at Madrid was just as dazzling as before. Then a move back to Milan (for free). Now Orlando City, MLS and to oblivion thereafter. 

I don't know whether this is a good way to start a blog. About a very simple tell-tale of my liking for a Football player. That too, faulty, liking. But all I realize is that, I, have grown up. I was just a kid when I saw the rise of Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite. The rise of Kaka' as a World Player. I see myself, a kid, glued to the TV, to Kaka'. I came to criticize the game, analyse it, read it and somewhat predict it. And midst all that I grew up to be twenty years of age, as I am now. Not a kid anymore. And meanwhile Kaka'  has lost his pace and reflexes. I saw him at Madrid, each day, as he grew older. And soon he made the substitution bench. Then the Reserve Bench. And then, it hit me. He was gone, already. Leaving behind his trophies and achievements, he was gone. 

I still haven't let go of Ricardo Kaka'. I can never. He made me watch this game. He made me addicted to this game. To me, he is, and will be Football. Ricardo Kaka'. I miss you. But you live in Football for me. You will always live in Football for me. As Football. He said, "I Belong To Jesus". And I, have always belonged to Kaka' and his beautiful Football.