Kaká champions Milan cause

After winning the UEFA Champions League, finishing as the competition's top scorer and being voted UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, Kaká could be forgiven for resting on his laurels. Instead it has just increased his drive to inspire AC Milan to yet another triumph.

Motivation
Since the European Champion Clubs' Cup was revamped under its present title in 1992/93, no team has taken the trophy two years running. "One of the reasons is that a team relaxes a little bit the following year," Kaká told uefa.com. "I think it's not going to happen in Milan because we are ready and willing to win the competition again and do something that nobody has done before."

Celtic test
Kaká, who struck ten times in last season's triumph, warmed up for the new European season with a goal in the emotional UEFA Super Cup defeat of Sevilla FC last month. On Tuesday Milan welcome fellow former continental champions SL Benfica on Matchday 1, with Shakhtar Donetsk FC and Celtic FC to come. It was against the Scottish champions that Kakà scored a wonderful extra-time goal last season to take the Rossoneri to the quarter-finals. "It is going to be very hard again," Kaká said. "I have been at Milan for five years and this will be my fifth season in the Champions League. I think we have faced Celtic three or four times and every game has been very hard against them, at San Siro and in Glasgow. We have to be very well prepared."

Different tactics
Few people seem to take to the UEFA Champions League like Kakà - whereas he only managed eight goals in 31 Serie A appearances last term he needed only 13 games to register double figures in Europe. The Brazilian has no doubts when asked about this discrepancy. "The biggest difference is in the opponents we face," he said. "In the Champions League even if you are not facing a great team, they are always the best from their respective countries. When you face the best teams from Norway, Czech Republic or Scotland they always try to play and win. There is more space and the matches are better because every team wants to play good football."

Creator supreme
Even though he was pushed further forward in the second part of last season, Kaká is a natural midfielder and that can cause a problem for markers as he moves into deep positions. "People see me more as a forward because of the last edition of the Champions League," he explained. "However I always played in midfield before and that's what I like to do, being able to start from behind and also help my team-mates score. My job remains making passes and providing assists even though nothing surpasses the joy of scoring a goal."

This is an edited version of an article from this week's uefa.com Magazine.To read it in full click here.