Real Madrid move to heal rift with AC Milan over Kaka

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon moved to improve relations with AC Milan on Thursday, after the Italian club's vice-president Adriano Galliani launched a scathing attack on them in a Spanish newspaper.

"We have read with great surprise the interview you gave to sports daily Marca," Calderon said in an open letter to Galliani on the Primera Liga club's Web site.

"We are absolutely sure that this is down to a dreadful misunderstanding between our clubs."

"We are writing this letter in the hope that we can restore cordial relations between these two great clubs as soon as possible."

On Wednesday, Galliani was highly critical of Calderon and his sports director Predrag Mijatovic over their attempts to lure Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka to Spain, and said: "Milan declares war on Real."

During his campaign to be president Calderon said he had a personal deal with Kaka and that he would bring him to the Bernabeu when elected. Calderon took office on July 3.

In June, Kaka signed a contract extension with Milan until 2011 and on Wednesday he told the club Web site he was happy where he was and that he had never said he wanted to go to Real.

AC Milan were involved in Italy's match-fixing scandal and had their punishments reduced on appeal earlier this week.

They have been allowed to compete in the Champions League from the third qualifying round next season, subject to UEFA's approval, and will start their Serie A campaign with a points deduction of minus eight.