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| The entertainer, an inspiration to millions. |
I found myself, yet again, the other day browsing through Youtube videos of amazing football moments, memories and pieces of genuine genius.
Browsing through all the players who have made football their own in the 21st century, the Zidanes, Messis, Ronaldos (Yes both!) one thing caught my eye. It was attached to a video compilation of Ronaldinho, and the comment read:
Ronaldo - "God sent me to teach the people how football is played"
Messi - "No, God sent me to teach the people"
Ronaldinho - "I didn't send anyone"
To me, this comment said a million words (as does the above picture), in effect the above said as much as my tribute following will, i firmly believe the talent and attitude of this man should never be forgotten, and this is why...
It was the morning of Friday 21st June 2002, i remember it being a Friday in particular, even though i was only 8, there was huge excitement surrounding this day, it was World Cup Quarter final day, and England were still alive and kicking! Why do i remember it being Friday in particular? Because there we were, the whole of my year 4 class, the whole of the primary school, cramped into the school hall to watch our nation take on the might of the favorites, Brazil.
Little did our 8 year old minds know, we were witnessing the birth of a superstar...
Ronaldo cancelled out the promise of Michael Owens first half goal, before heartache struck with that moment, when that 'Brazilian chap' the 'goofy one with the long hair' outrageously chipped David Seaman from all of 40 yards. Like Seaman, and millions of other Englishmen, i will never forget that goal, but not for the reason it knocked us out of The World Cup, but because it was the first time the world really sat up and took notice of Ronaldinho Gaucho.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on 21st March 1980, to Mother Dona and Father Joao, his Father never got to see his sons footballing prowess, despairingly suffering a fatal heart-attack in the family swimming pool whilst Ronaldinho was just 8 years old. Ironically, it was never really Ronaldinho that set the family pulses racing in terms of football at child level, his elder brother, Roberto, was on Gremio's books, and after he finally got a deal the family of Dona, Roberto, Ronaldinho and sister Deisi to move to a more luxurious any of his hometown Porto Alegre.
At 8 Ronaldinho was finally noticed, it went from playing 'Joga Bonito' on the beach to being on the Gremio Youth's books to the Parc Des Princes of Paris St Germain to gracing the finest European stadiums in The Camp Nou and The San Siro for 7 beautiful, mesmerizing years.
Ronaldinho did the business at Gremio over the two years he was a first teamer, he was banging in the goals, bringing out the tricks, and the national team were already sniffing around him. He had shone in an U-17's World Cup in Egypt 1997. On the contrary to what many believe, the diminutive Ronaldinho earnt his first Brazilian cap before the turn of the millennium in June '99, from there the lad never, ever looked back.
I'm sure many of you will still be queering why this man deserves so much praise, yes he shone in a Barca side, but he had the players around him - same goes for Brazil. So just what is it with Senor Ronaldinho?
For me, he is everything football should be: fun, exciting, enthralling, thrilling, unpredictable and genius. Similar to the memory of watching that Brazil - England World Cup game at my school, i recall a further moment that summed up what this man is all about from March 2005, Barcelona's Spanish stars were at Stamford Bridge in London for a Champions League last 16 game, despite going down 4-2, all i can remember is everyone for the next X amount of weeks trying the 'Ronaldinho shuffle & toe poke' that he stabbed past Petr Cech - i will never forget watching that goal live and thinking: "I just witnessed something special right there".
The thing that riles not just me now, but I'm sure many others out there, is that whenever Ronaldinho's name is bought up in footballing terms it gets frowned upon, dismissed. I believe this to be a truly unfair and an extremely inaccurate look on a mans career. This Samba Man changed how i viewed and took football in, nobody had ever seen such tight, close control and dribbling skills on a football. The 'flip-flap' his own skill, again never seen repeated to this day. Nobody else seems to have not just the technique, or the genuine backbone Ronaldinho had at his prime.
When trawling through videos of highlights from the great man, one stood out, his return to The Nou Camp, after leaving behind 'his' fans, his self proclaimed "greatest five years of his life". He lined up in a friendly for new suiters AC Milan, but the occasion was all about Barcelona and Ronaldinho's love affair, you could see it not just on the big screen at the highest point of the famous stadium, but also in his eyes. He didn't really want to ever leave. And in a way he has never truly left. (Below is the aforementioned video)
He was always marvelous to watch, in some ways, he is very much the dribbling and flair of Lionel Messi blended together with the physicality, power and cheek of Christiano Ronaldo, the man was such a global figure for football, No matter where you were, there would be cartoon T-shirts of Ronaldinho with super enlarged teeth, everyone knew who he was, even if you had no interest in the beautiful game.
Those who argue against me building such a case for Ronaldinho Gaucho would bring up his partying and binging antics, and suggest them towards the 'decline' in his career. Firstly i would say: The lad suffered a tragic loss as a very young child, of course he will have times of doing the wrong thing of course hyped by the press, but i would further like to add - What decline to a career would they be bringing up? Ronaldinho has hit 31 and has spent his prime of 8 years playing for arguably the two most illustrious and successful European clubs, not just playing for these it should be said, starring, shining for them, being the creative man, that figure who everyone wants to see, meet or be. He has returned to his native Brazil to play for Flamengo, so what? The Brazilian league is for no slouches and as of September 2011 the twice Balon D'Or winner has earnt himself a call-up back to the Brazilian national squad, for the first time in 3 years! Didn't happen in Italy did it doubters?
The game where Ronnie was able to bag his 50th Barca goal saw him at the pinnacle of his powers, i remember waking up one morning and catching La Liga highlights of Barcelona v Villareal at The Nou Camp, he netted his 50th, nonetheless the moment was still to come. Ronaldinho received a cross on the left-hand side of the penalty area on his chest before a swivel and a seemingly impossible bicycle kick was accomplished, an art of a goal, no one else, in my opinion in the history of the game could've scored that goal. That was all of Ronaldinho in one, and for him to run off with that tooth-filled grin waving his fingers like a rock star in that celebration was just an unbeatable sight.
I'm extremely glad i came across that comment mentioned at the top of this article, without my eyes scanning it, i wouldn't have been sent into such deep thinking of this special player, this man i'd always respected as a player, this talent that in my eyes has yet to be breached, knocked off his perch as king of Barcelona. I will never forget those Ronaldinho memories as a kid, never forget the disappointment at 'play-time' after the Brazilians defeat of England when my friend got to be Ronaldinho and i was stuck being Ronaldo. To put it in terms of the youth today, Ronaldinho had a untouchable swagger about him, you could genuinely see that he loved what he was doing, he idolized the fans who worshipped him. The on field partnership he struck up with Samuel Eto'o was unforgiving and unforgettable. It would of been truly catastrophic if Pele had not included him in the 100 Greatest players of all time list, for me this man bought football to where it is today, went the extra mile and hurdled the extra tackle. Wasn't afraid of what might happen after. Lived to play this game and entertain the whole world!
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira - Ronaldinho
I bow down to you, for me, King of the football pitch.
Little did our 8 year old minds know, we were witnessing the birth of a superstar...
Ronaldo cancelled out the promise of Michael Owens first half goal, before heartache struck with that moment, when that 'Brazilian chap' the 'goofy one with the long hair' outrageously chipped David Seaman from all of 40 yards. Like Seaman, and millions of other Englishmen, i will never forget that goal, but not for the reason it knocked us out of The World Cup, but because it was the first time the world really sat up and took notice of Ronaldinho Gaucho.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born on 21st March 1980, to Mother Dona and Father Joao, his Father never got to see his sons footballing prowess, despairingly suffering a fatal heart-attack in the family swimming pool whilst Ronaldinho was just 8 years old. Ironically, it was never really Ronaldinho that set the family pulses racing in terms of football at child level, his elder brother, Roberto, was on Gremio's books, and after he finally got a deal the family of Dona, Roberto, Ronaldinho and sister Deisi to move to a more luxurious any of his hometown Porto Alegre.
At 8 Ronaldinho was finally noticed, it went from playing 'Joga Bonito' on the beach to being on the Gremio Youth's books to the Parc Des Princes of Paris St Germain to gracing the finest European stadiums in The Camp Nou and The San Siro for 7 beautiful, mesmerizing years.
Ronaldinho did the business at Gremio over the two years he was a first teamer, he was banging in the goals, bringing out the tricks, and the national team were already sniffing around him. He had shone in an U-17's World Cup in Egypt 1997. On the contrary to what many believe, the diminutive Ronaldinho earnt his first Brazilian cap before the turn of the millennium in June '99, from there the lad never, ever looked back.
I'm sure many of you will still be queering why this man deserves so much praise, yes he shone in a Barca side, but he had the players around him - same goes for Brazil. So just what is it with Senor Ronaldinho?
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| 'That' dink at Stamford Bridge in 2005 |
The thing that riles not just me now, but I'm sure many others out there, is that whenever Ronaldinho's name is bought up in footballing terms it gets frowned upon, dismissed. I believe this to be a truly unfair and an extremely inaccurate look on a mans career. This Samba Man changed how i viewed and took football in, nobody had ever seen such tight, close control and dribbling skills on a football. The 'flip-flap' his own skill, again never seen repeated to this day. Nobody else seems to have not just the technique, or the genuine backbone Ronaldinho had at his prime.
When trawling through videos of highlights from the great man, one stood out, his return to The Nou Camp, after leaving behind 'his' fans, his self proclaimed "greatest five years of his life". He lined up in a friendly for new suiters AC Milan, but the occasion was all about Barcelona and Ronaldinho's love affair, you could see it not just on the big screen at the highest point of the famous stadium, but also in his eyes. He didn't really want to ever leave. And in a way he has never truly left. (Below is the aforementioned video)
He was always marvelous to watch, in some ways, he is very much the dribbling and flair of Lionel Messi blended together with the physicality, power and cheek of Christiano Ronaldo, the man was such a global figure for football, No matter where you were, there would be cartoon T-shirts of Ronaldinho with super enlarged teeth, everyone knew who he was, even if you had no interest in the beautiful game.
Those who argue against me building such a case for Ronaldinho Gaucho would bring up his partying and binging antics, and suggest them towards the 'decline' in his career. Firstly i would say: The lad suffered a tragic loss as a very young child, of course he will have times of doing the wrong thing of course hyped by the press, but i would further like to add - What decline to a career would they be bringing up? Ronaldinho has hit 31 and has spent his prime of 8 years playing for arguably the two most illustrious and successful European clubs, not just playing for these it should be said, starring, shining for them, being the creative man, that figure who everyone wants to see, meet or be. He has returned to his native Brazil to play for Flamengo, so what? The Brazilian league is for no slouches and as of September 2011 the twice Balon D'Or winner has earnt himself a call-up back to the Brazilian national squad, for the first time in 3 years! Didn't happen in Italy did it doubters?
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| The image of football through the 'noughties' |
I'm extremely glad i came across that comment mentioned at the top of this article, without my eyes scanning it, i wouldn't have been sent into such deep thinking of this special player, this man i'd always respected as a player, this talent that in my eyes has yet to be breached, knocked off his perch as king of Barcelona. I will never forget those Ronaldinho memories as a kid, never forget the disappointment at 'play-time' after the Brazilians defeat of England when my friend got to be Ronaldinho and i was stuck being Ronaldo. To put it in terms of the youth today, Ronaldinho had a untouchable swagger about him, you could genuinely see that he loved what he was doing, he idolized the fans who worshipped him. The on field partnership he struck up with Samuel Eto'o was unforgiving and unforgettable. It would of been truly catastrophic if Pele had not included him in the 100 Greatest players of all time list, for me this man bought football to where it is today, went the extra mile and hurdled the extra tackle. Wasn't afraid of what might happen after. Lived to play this game and entertain the whole world!
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira - Ronaldinho
I bow down to you, for me, King of the football pitch.
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