Sports briefs

Real Madrid pays $92 million for Kaka

MADRID, Spain — Real Madrid has announced the signing of Brazilian star Kaka from AC Milan.

Madrid gave no financial details but reports on Monday said the Spanish club will pay Milan 65 million euros ($92 million) for the attacking midfielder, making it one of the richest deals in soccer history.

The largest previous transfer was set by Zinedine Zidane when he joined Madrid from Juventus for $65 million in 2001.

Milan also confirmed Kaka's transfer to Madrid on its Web site.

"Kaka is one of the players that every team would like to have and Madrid had the chance to get him," Madrid president Florentino Perez told radio station Onda Cero just before the signing was announced.

The attacking midfielder is the first player to join Madrid since Perez regained the club presidency unopposed last week.

Perez is expected to attempt to sign several more top names for Madrid before the start of next season in August. Last week, he announced for the first time that Madrid would be looking to land Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Petty Motorsports forced to do layoffs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Richard Petty Motorsports laid off nine employees Monday and reduced salaries throughout the organization, a byproduct of Chrysler's bankruptcy filing.

RPM officials took the measures because of anticipated cutbacks from Dodge, a person familiar with the moves told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding RPM's contract with Chrysler.

Chrysler, Dodge's parent company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month.

RPM is in the final year of its contract with Dodge, and the team is widely believed to be trying to negotiate a switch to Toyota in 2010.

The team currently fields cars for Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger, who are all signed through 2010, and Reed Sorenson, who is in a contract year. Although Allmendinger is signed through 2010, the team has only committed to field his car through the 26th race of the season.

Knee makes Nadal iffy for Wimbledon

BARCELONA, Spain — Rafael Nadal is having his knees checked by doctors and expects to announce his status for Wimbledon in the coming days.