Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho has announced that after this season of football, he will be hanging up his cleats, and calling it a career. Ronaldinho, who was in New York this Wednesday to help with the opening of Barcelona's new offices in the United States was in great spirits as he took some time to mingle with fans' and snap pictures with them as well. Eventually sitting down and talking to the media, Ronaldinho told reporters during a press conference, "I am an old man now, I am 36. I am no longer 26 like I once was, and I am looking at what I can do to mark an end to my career. The plan is to play one more year."
Ronaldinho who is currently not signed to a team has hinted in the past at playing in China, India and even the MLS. Where he ends up playing is still in question as he hasn't announced anything yet, when asked about his future after football, the Brazilian legend said, "I am immersed in new projects, related to music and football which are, as you know, my two passions. I am looking at new things that I have always liked and we will see what we will do this year."
Ronaldinho, who's full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira started his career in Gremio in the youth squad back in 1998. Working his way up to first team and scoring 21 goals in 52 appearances. From their he got the attention of French team Paris Saint-Germain, and signed with them in 2001. It was for PSG that his star began to shine much, as well as winning a World Cup with Brazil in 2002, he got the attention of Barcelona in Spain. So in 2003 after not winning much silverware (except for the Intertoto Cup) with PSG and not qualifying for a Champion's League, he signed with the Catalan club. The beginning of his first season with the Catalan team was filled with injury woes. Barcelona dropped all the way down to 12th place midway into the season, but when he returned, he managed to score a total of 15 goals and helped the team climb back to second place.
2004 was different, he won his first La Liga title and was named FIFA World Player of the Year. In 2005 he signed an extension with Barcelona for two years. By the start of the 2005 season, Ronaldinho was winning all kinds of individual awards, he won a consecutive second FIFA World Player of the award. Only two other players had won that award more than once, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. This same year he also won the Ballon d'Or, the only time in his career. To many, this is Ronaldinho's greatest season in any team, who can forget the famous Clasico match that occurred on November 19th, where Ronaldinho scored two goals in a 3-0 defeat of Real Madrid after the game was pretty much decided after his second goal, the Madrid fans in the Santiago Bernabeu paid Ronaldinho homage for his amazing performance by applauding and giving the Brazilian legend a standing ovation. A feat that only one other person was able to do, a certain Argentine by the name of Diego Maradona. Ronaldinho finished that season with another Liga title and winning the Champion League trophy for the first time in 14 years for the Catalans.
After his great many seasons at Barcelona, he became somewhat nomadic joining A.C. Milan for 2 seasons and then having stints back home with Flamengo and Atletico Mineiro, winning the first ever Copa Libertadores with the later team. Then giving Mexican football a try, signed for Queretaro where he only played a season until he went back home to Brazil to Fluminense where he only made 9 appearances before he and club came to a mutual agreement that he wasn't performing as best as he could therefore terminating his contract. Currently Ronaldinho is a free agent, where his last season will be played has yet to be announced.
No comments:
Post a Comment