Kaká and Ronaldo reveal all

The combined symbols of a summer of spending at Real Madrid CF, Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo have been charged with bringing the élan back to the Santiago Bernabéu after being recruited for a combined fee in excess of €150m. The respective recipients of the last two Ballon d'Or titles sat down to share their thoughts on coping with expectation, wearing the famous white jersey and the challenges which lie ahead.

How hard was it to leave such big clubs to join Real Madrid?

Kaká: In my opinion life consists of cycles and my cycle in Milan had reached an end. It was very good, I won everything I could win, but then came the moment where the story had to end. It finished as I would have liked – I can go back to Milan and be welcomed by my colleagues because I left in a positive way. My arrival at Real Madrid has been very good too and I hope what happened in Milan will happen here - that I will write my name into the club's history.

Ronaldo: Basically it's as Ricardo said. What I went through in Manchester was a cycle which I'm very proud of, because of what I won and what I achieved. But cycles come to an end, we want new experiences and challenges, and I'm ready for that. What I won in Manchester is in the past and now I have to think of the future at Real Madrid, where I hope to win just as much or even more. I'm very happy, though, that my relationship with Manchester United is still very good.

How did you feel when you first wore a Real Madrid shirt in front of all those fans at the Santiago Bernabéu?

Kaká: It was a fantastic experience. In Italy the player presentation is different so it was all new to me – to have a full stadium like that really impressed me. It was very emotional. I felt honoured to be at a club that is recognised worldwide for its history, achievements and tradition of famous players.

Ronaldo: I felt great happiness. As I've said before, playing for Real Madrid was a boyhood dream and I finally realised it. To wear the shirt in a full stadium was a source of great satisfaction and pride, something I'll never forget. These are the moments you never forget.

Will it be difficult to live up to expectations this season?

Kaká: At Real Madrid there has always been a responsibility to win and to be in the front window of Spanish and European football. The new players who've arrived, along with the ones who were already here, have a responsibility to get us winning. But experiences tells us that, in football, talent is never enough – the way the group comes together is fundamental to us becoming a winning team.

Ronaldo: It's normal to have great expectations given the players the club have signed. Of course, Madrid always want to win things and we as players want to meet the challenge. With the team and players we have, we have to think positively and believe we can win, but we have to take one step at time. We must build a team, a group, and then think of trophies.

This team have already drawn comparisons with the Galáctico era. What do you think about that?

Ronaldo: I don't like to use that word. Simply, we have a fantastic group with great players and we all want to form a team that will win things. The Galácticos have gone – that was a different era, one that I respect a lot because of what it represented and the players they had, great players who made history at the club. But now we have a new group with new players, a new mentality, and we too want to win.

Kaká: I agree with Cristiano. The age of the Galácticos – all fantastic players – was a marvellous period but this is a different generation, a different formation with different players. In the end I hope we will also be able to say that this team was a winning team. For now, we are successful players arriving at a new club and starting from zero.

Does the size of your transfer fee bring added pressure?

Kaká: No, I don't think so. Obviously there's a great responsibility, but that is not a negative – it is a motivation, an incentive. We came here to be part of a project that everyone expects to be a winning project. I see it as a great motivation.

Ronaldo: The expectations are high but that's normal given what was paid for the players we've signed. But we are all used to pressure - I played for many years at Manchester United, always under great pressure to win. It will be the same here. We have to be relaxed and work hard to build a squad. Then we can think of the victories and honours we can bring to this club.

How do you think your experience will help Real Madrid this season?

Ronaldo: This is a club used to winning, a lot of the players here are winners, but now it's about a new team and a new squad. That's why we have to create the right mentality for us to win the league, the Champions League and the cups. This is a club obsessed with winning and now the players here have to think the same way.

The 2010 UEFA Champions League final will be played at the Bernabéu. Is that an extra incentive to get there?

Kaká: The ambition is to win the Champions League. On top of that, you have the possibility of us being at home – and it would be fantastic to play the final at the Bernabéu. Success in modern football depends on a lot of different factors, but we'll certainly do our best to be in that final.

To watch parts of this interview in the uefa.com Magazine, click here.