World Class Footballer: A Short Characterization

Ronaldinho’s professional career began in 1997, the same year he won the U-17 World Cup title with the Brazilian national team. Ronaldinho played for Gremio in the Brazilian first division for four years before moving to the French club Paris Saint-German in 2001.

His outstanding performances, as one of the best dibblers of all time, subsequently brought him international fame. In 2002, Ronaldinho celebrated what was probably his greatest success: he and his team beat Germany in the final of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

In 2003, he joined the Spanish top-flight club FC Barcelona. Just a few months later, he received the ‘World Player of the Year’ award, and in the 2004/2005 season, he also became Spanish champion with FC Barcelona.

In 2005, the player was not only named the best footballer in Europe but also wthe orld footballer once again. A short time later, he was the highest-earning footballer in the world.

His contract was prematurely extended by two years and the transfer fee was set at a gigantic 125 million euros.

In 2006, he became Spanish champion again with FC Barcelona and eventually also won the Champions League. After that, his career went downhill. Persistent injuries were cited as the reason, but rumours of a debauched nightlife and a less than professional lifestyle also made the rounds.

In August 2008, Ronaldinho moved to AC Milan despite extending his contract for a transfer fee of around 25 million euros. However, his performances there gradually declined. By the 2010 World Cup, he was no longer part of the Selecao.

In 2011, he moved to Brazil to the ‘Clube de Regatas do Flamengo’. But even there he was unable to repeat his earlier successes: since June 2012, he has been playing for the Brazilian first division club Atlético Mineiro in Belo Horizonte.

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

What Makes Him Unique

His trademarks are sensational dribbling and crooked teeth. The striker Ronaldinho has had a great career. But he also attracts attention time and again for his excesses.

This a claim possibly made in jest, which in any case misses the essence of Ronaldinho the footballer. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, born on 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre, played some ‘wrong’ passes.

At least a number of passes did not arrive – and perhaps made no sense to outsiders or even his teammates. But they did for Ronaldinho.

At the peak of his creative powers, world champion and world footballer Ronaldinho dominated the football circus in the style of a magician. His legacy is primarily linked to this.

At the zenith of his creative powers, the world champion and world footballer Ronaldinho dominated the football circus in the style of a magician. His legacy is primarily linked to this.

A broad smile and the ‘surfer’s grin’: Ronaldinho was the best player in the world at FC Barcelona.

According to his latest headline from Paraguay, something happened to Ronaldinho – at least in many places – that had never happened to him in his football career: a misplaced pass.

The Figurehead Of An Era

‘The opponent doesn’t know what’s happening. And neither do I,’ the Brazilian once declared, underlining his status as the figurehead of an era in which exceptional players relied a little more on their instincts.

While they are now – rightly, of course, in terms of efficiency and success – increasingly relying on their instincts.

While they now seem to reel off their three or four most promising movements and moves over and over again – quite rightly, of course, in terms of efficiency and success.

The hobbyhorse of the extraordinary ball artist Ronaldinho was his spontaneity. Tricks, shots, and passes that the world had never seen before. And he often hadn’t either. If he ever failed in an action, he simply smiled away the failure. In his eyes, football was pure joy.

What Sets Ronaldinho Apart From Cristiano Ronaldo And Messi

An age of almost complete decoding and omnipresence of football has long since begun – fuelled by the big, wide Internet, whose more remote phenomena also include so-called ‘memes’. Some of these illustrated, humorous texts invoke, for example: ‘Cristiano Ronaldo made people love Real Madrid.

Lionel Messi made people love FC Barcelona. Ronaldinho made people love football.’ There is often something to memes.

Ronaldinho stood like no other for ‘Joga Bonito’, the beautiful game that could not usually be molded into a pattern. That’s why Pep Guardiola immediately discarded him when he took over FC Barcelona in 2008.

But by the time Ronaldinho had led Barça back to the top by winning the Champions League in 2006, the 26-year-old magician of the unknown was probably already on the first branches of the descending tree.

Spontaneous In All Situations

The 2002 world champion and 2004 and 2005 world footballer trained too little and liked to party too much – he was often guided by his spontaneity off the pitch too. As a result, the spectacular peak of his sporting career lasted only a few years.

Nevertheless, Ronaldinho remains the most popular player of his generation to this day and for the foreseeable future. No matter how many more blunders he puts his foot in. His fans simply smile them away.

A Very Special Match – 2005

Ronaldinho has labelled his team’s visit to the Santiago Bernabéu as a ‘perfect performance’ after their superb 3-0 win over Real Madrid CF.

Dream Match

‘It was the kind of game you dream of, a perfect performance,’ said Ronaldinho after the victory in the lion’s den.

After this success, Barca, who have won their last six games – in all competitions – are four points clear of the Whites in first place in the Primera División.

Brilliant Goals

Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o gave the Catalans the lead after just a quarter of an hour, before Ronaldinho’s two goals in the second half made sure of the final score.

After an hour, he marched 40 metres across the pitch with the ball, shook off two defenders and then converted. Just over a quarter of an hour later, he made it all clear with a shot towards the near post.

Madrid Fans Cheer

Ronaldinho was even cheered by the opposing fans for his performance – a rare gesture. ‘It was a very emotional moment for me that I’ll never forget, because it’s not often that opposing fans applaud you. It’s not something you expect in your career.

I didn’t realise that only Maradona had done that before.’