AC Milan Midfielder Kaká Doesn't Want to Get Paid While He's Hurt

Kaká is a legend at AC Milan. The Brazilian midfielder returned to the club late in the summer transfer window, following four uneventful seasons at Real Madrid. Kaká looks to have endeared himself even further to the club’s faithful this week when he asked not to be paid his salary while he’s out of action with a thigh injury.

The injured midfielder recorded a message on the Milan YouTube channel outlining how he doesn’t want to collect his salary when he’s injured.

Gabriele Marcotti tweeted it could save Milan somewhere in the range of $800,000.

"“I have spoken at length with the club and in the end I decided that I don’t want anything from Milan except love and support until I’m fully fit and ready to play,” he said. “So I have decided to not to be paid for this period of time. The only thing that I ask is the support and help to recover in the best way. “I have started my rehabilitation and the support from you [the fans] and everything I have heard in the last couple of days really drives me on and makes me determined to come back as soon as possible.”"

It’s a smart play by Kaká to thank the fans, who met him in droves at the airport upon his return to Milan earlier this month. On a sporting level, Kaká is a shadow of the player he was when he led Milan to the 2007 Champions League, so this latest move ought to buy him plenty of rope with the fans.

That said, it’s extremely doubtful too many other injured players around the globe will ask simply for “love and support” rather than their paychecks while they’re injured.

But hey, to each their own. [via The Guardian]