City chief Cook blasts Milan and Kaka’s father

MANCHESTER CITY executive chairman Garry Cook claimed the decision to lure Kaka to Eastlands boiled down to money – and claimed the 26-year-old’s father was greedy.

Cook and the City delegation flew home from Milan on Monday night having failed to land the former world player of the year from AC Milan.

Cook feels Milan simply ‘‘bottled it,’’ becoming suddenly aware of the scale of unrest the decision would cause among the Rossoneri.

Cook claimed: “Milan bottled it. They lost their nerve. They had agreed to sell their prize possession and we had agreed to buy him.

“Kaka has the capability to be the next global ambassador for the game. But his father (Bosco Leite) just wanted an offer. He did not want to sit and talk about the rest of the stuff.

“It was all coming together but when we got down to it, the father just wanted to know how much we were going to pay him.

“He used the term ‘it is not just about money’. It’s ironic that it was. It was very frustrating.”

However despite missing out on the Brazialian, Cook insists City have moved forward as a club just by getting round a table with an institution like Milan to discuss the potential purchase of one of the best players in the world.

“We are undeterred,” he said. “We will keep plugging on. I truly believe we are on a journey. It is a shame because if the player had been able to come with us that journey may have been accelerated by a couple of years. But it doesn’t deter us from what we are trying to do.

“If we don’t get Kaka it is not the end of the world. We got Craig Bellamy.”

Meanwhile City’s record signing Robinho is expected to be fined by Manchester City when he returns to the UK.

The Brazil frontman flew out of City’s warm-weather training camp in Tenerife on Monday to return home.

Although Robinho has now claimed he needed to attend an urgent family matter, Blues boss Mark Hughes was believed to be unaware of his departure.

A senior City official, when informed of a statement on Robinho’s personal website where the 12-goal striker vowed to be back in Manchester in time to face Newcastle at Eastlands on January 28, tersely replied: “An apology to Mark would have been nice as well.”

So, with chief executive Garry Cook confirming a “breach of internal discipline” had occurred, unless further internal investigations reveal Robinho did inform another member of the Blues coaching staff he was flying back to South America, a financial penalty seems certain.

Not that Robinho is attempting to widen a rift with his club.

The 24-year-old insists he will smooth the problems out once he gets back to the UK.

“I will return to the club and hope to sort this out as soon as possible,” he said.

“I am committed to helping Manchester City become the force the owners assured me they will become.”

Robinho has also made clear his unscheduled journey had nothing to do with Kaka’s rejection of City’s mammoth offer to join his fellow Brazilian at Eastlands.

“It is important to underline that I did not return to Brazil because of the Kaka deal,” he said. “He is one of my good friends and it would have been great to see him at Manchester City – but it had nothing to do with his decision to stay in Milan.”