Ronaldinho Gaucho" redirects here. For the comic strip based on him, seeRonaldinho Gaucho (comic strip). For other uses, see Ronaldinho (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known asRonaldinho (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁonawˈdʒĩɲu]) orRonaldinho Gaúcho,[2] is a Brazilianfootballer who plays for Mexican clubQuerétaro. His main playing position is as an attacking midfielder or forward. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2004 and 2005. Renowned for his technique, tricks, dribbling, overhead kicks, no-look passes and free kicks, Ronaldinho is regarded to be one of the best players of his generation.[3][4]
"Ronaldinho", the diminutive and term of endearment for "Ronaldo", is accompanied in Brazilian usage by the nickname "Gaúcho" (since he hails fromsouthern Brazil), in order to distinguish him from fellow footballer and countryman Ronaldo, who was known as "Ronaldinho" in Brazil beforehand. Ronaldo simply went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and go by the name Ronaldinho abroad.
Ronaldinho has played 97 matches and scored 33 goals for the Brazil national football team. He was an integral part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning team, starring alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldoin an attacking trio, and was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.
At club level, prior to his move toQuerétaro, Ronaldinho played forGrêmio, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Milan, Flamengo, andAtlético Mineiro. With Barcelona, he won the UEFA Champions League in 2006 and the Ballon d'Or in 2005. He became a Spanish citizen in January 2007.[5]Ronaldinho was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled by Pelé, and to theFIFPro World XI from 2005–2007.
Early and personal life
Ronaldinho was born in the city of Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul. His mother, Dona Miguelina Elói Assis dos Santos (daughter of Enviro Assis),[6] is a former salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João de Assis Moreira, was a shipyard worker and footballer for local clubEsporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with Cruzeiro).[7] He suffered a fatal heart attack in the family swimming pool when Ronaldinho was eight. After Ronaldinho's older brother,Roberto, signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury. Today, Roberto acts as Ronaldinho's manager, while his sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.[8][9]
Ronaldinho's football skills began to blossom at the of age 8, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinhobecause he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.[8] He developed an interest infutsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football. His first brush with the media came at the age of thirteen, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team.[10]Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.[11][12]
Ronaldinho became a father for the first time on 25 February 2005, after Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes gave birth to their son, who was named João after Ronaldinho's late father.[13]
Club career
Grêmio
I've worked with some great players in my time and all at a very interesting period in their careers, nineteen to twenty years old. But, with due respect to the others, Ronaldinho was a cut above the rest.
“
”
— Grêmio coach Celso Roth.[14]
Ronaldinho's career began with theGrêmio youth squad. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.[15] 1999 saw the emergence of the eighteen year old Ronaldinho, with twenty-three goals in forty-eight matches, and he put in headlining displays in derbies againstInternacional, most notably on 20 June 1999 in the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship final.[16] In a match winning performance, Ronaldinho embarrassed Internacional's Brazilian legend and 1994 World Cup winning captain Dunga, flicking the ball over his head on one occasion, and leaving him flat-footed in a mazy dribble on another.[16] Ronaldinho achieved further success with Grêmio, winning the inaugural Copa Sul-Minas.[16]
In 2001, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, but the move collapsed after he could not obtain a work permit because he was a non-EU player who had not played enough international matches.[17] He considered playing on loan with Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren, which never happened due to his involvement in a fake passport scandal in Brazil.[18]
Paris Saint-Germain
In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French side Paris Saint-Germain in a €5 million transfer.[19]Upon his arrival in Paris, Ronaldinho was given the number 21 shirt and inserted into a lineup that included fellow Brazilian Aloísio, midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha and striker Nicolas Anelka.[20]
2001-02 season
Ronaldinho made his league debut for the club on 4 August 2001 appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw withAuxerre.[21] Ronaldinho spent the majority of the 2001 portion of the season alternated between the bench and starter's role. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 October in a 2–2 draw against Lyon converting theequalizing penalty in the 79th minute after having come on 10 minutes prior.[22] After returning from the winter break, Ronaldinho went on a tear scoring a goal in four consecutive matches to open the new campaign. He recorded impressive goals againstMonaco, Rennes, Lens and Lorient. On 16 March 2002, Ronaldinho recorded a double in PSG's 3–1 victory against relegation strugglers Troyes.[23] He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metzon 27 April.[24]
Ronaldinho was also influential in the2001–02 edition of the Coupe de la Ligue, helping Paris Saint-Germain reach the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Bordeaux. In a Round of 16 match against Guingamp, Ronaldinho scored two second half goals in the game after having entered the match as a half-time substitute. Despite Ronaldinho's initial success with the club, the season was marred by controversy with Paris Saint-Germainmanager Luis Fernández claiming that the Brazilian was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.[15]
2002-03 season
Despite repeated rifts with Fernández, Ronaldinho returned to the team for the2002–03 season with the player switching to the number 10 shirt. Though his performances in his sophomore season with the club were underwhelming compared to his first, Ronaldinho performed admirably with the club. On 26 October 2002, he scored two goals in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–1 victory over Classique rivals Marseille. The first goal was a free kick, which curled past numerous Marseille players in the 18-yard box before sailing pastgoalkeeper Vedran Runje. In the return match, he again scored in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–0 victory at the Stade Vélodrome, running half the length of the field before flicking the ball over the goalkeeper.[25]
Ronaldinho was also praised for his performance in the Coupe de Francewhen he scored both goals in the club's 2–0 win over Bordeaux in the semi-finals, which inserted Paris Saint-Germain into the final. After scoring his first goal in the 22nd minute, Ronaldinho capped the game in the 81st minute accurately chipping the ball at the 18-yard box over the head of goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé, despite Ramé being in a favorable position. For his performance, Ronaldinho was given astanding ovation by the Parisian supporters. Unfortunately for the club, Ronaldinho and the team failed to capture the form that got them to the final as the bowed out 2–1 to Auxerre due to a last minute goal from Jean-Alain Boumsong. Despite Ronaldinho's performances, the club finished in disappointing 11th place position. Following the season, Ronaldinho declared he wanted to leave the club after the capital club failed to qualify for any European competition.[26]
Barcelona
Originally, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta had promised to bring David Beckham to the club, but following his transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and outbid Manchester United for his signature in a reported €30 million.[27][28]
2003-04 season
Ronaldinho made his team debut in a friendly against Milan at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., scoring one goal in a 2–0 victory. He scored his first goal in the La Liga on 3 September 2003 against Sevilla.[29] After receiving the ball from his goalkeeper inside his own half, Ronaldinho ran through midfield and dribbled past two Sevilla players before striking the ball from 30 yards which hammered off the underside of the crossbar and back up into the roof of the net.[29] Ronaldinho suffered from injury during the first half of the campaign,[30] and Barcelona slumped to the 12th position in the league standings midway through the season. Ronaldinho returned from injury and scored 15 goals in La Liga, helping the team finish second in the league.[31][32]
2004-05 season
Ronaldinho won his first league title in 2004–05, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on 20 December 2004.[33] Ronaldinho's fame was growing with his entertaining and productive play in both the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. On 8 March 2005 Barcelona were eliminated from the latter competition by Chelseain the first knockout round, losing 5-4 over two legs.[34] Ronaldinho scored both goals in the 4–2 second leg loss in London, the second a spectacular strike where he feinted to shoot before striking the ball with no back-lift past Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech from 20 yards out.[34]
With his contract expiring in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered an extension until 2014 that would have net him £85 million over nine years,[35] but he turned it down. In September 2005, he signed a two-year extension that contained a minimum-fee release clause that allowed him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of at least £85 million for him.[36]
2005-06 season
Ronaldinho taking a corner againstCelta Vigo at the Camp Nou in 2005
By the end of year 2005, Ronaldinho had started to accumulate a host of personal awards. He won the inauguralFIFPro World Player of the Year in September 2005, in addition to being included in the 2005 FIFPro World XI, and being named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year. Also that year, Ronaldinho was voted the FIFA World Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.[33] He became only the third player to win the award more than once, after three time winnersRonaldo and Zinedine Zidane.[33] His domination as the world's best footballer was undisputed as he also won the prestigious Ballon d'Or for the only time in his career.[37]
On 19 November, Ronaldinho scored twice as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–0 on the road in the first leg ofEl Clásico. After he sealed the match with his second goal, Madrid fans paid homage to his performance with a standing ovation, so rare a tribute onlyDiego Maradona had ever been granted previously as a Barcelona player at theSantiago Bernabéu.[38] Ronaldinho stated; "I will never forget this because it is very rare for any footballer to be applauded in this way by the opposition fans."[38]
He transmits a lot of joy and pleasure playing the game, and he has individual skills that are of such a high level that everybody in the world adores him.
“
”
—Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard on Ronaldinho during the 2005-06 season.[39]
The season is considered one of the best in Ronaldinho's career as he was an instrumental part of Barcelona's firstChampions League title in 14 years. After winning their group convincingly, Barcelona faced Chelsea in the round of 16 for a rematch of the previous year.[40]Ronaldinho scored a decisive goal in the second leg, going past three Chelsea defenders on the edge of the penalty area before beating the goalkeeper, sealing Barcelona's qualification to the next round.[40] He also contributed one goal in Barcelona's elimination of Benfica in the quarterfinals with a 2–0 home victory. After a 1–0 semifinal aggregate win over Milan, in which Ronaldinho assisted the series' only goal byLudovic Giuly, Barcelona progressed to the Champions League final, which they won on 17 May 2006 with a 2–1 defeat of Arsenal.[41] Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had clinched their second straight La Liga title with a 1–0 win overCelta Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double.[42]
He finished the season with a career-best 26 goals, including 7 in the Champions League, and was chosen for the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time and was named the 2005–06 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.[31] Ronaldinho was named in the six man shortlist for the 2006 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, and was selected in the FIFA World XI.[43]
Ronaldinho celebrates scoring with teammates in December 2006
2006-07 season
When you play with him and see what he does with a ball, nothing surprises me any more. One of these days, he will make the ball talk.
“
”
— Barcelona teammate Eidur Gudjohnsen.[44]
On 25 November 2006, Ronaldinho scored his 50th career league goal against Villarreal, then later scored a second time with an overhead bicycle kick. He later said to reporters that the latter was a goal he had dreamed of scoring since he was a boy.[45] He scored once and set up two others in Barcelona's 4–0 Club World Cup win over Mexico's Club América on 14 December, but Barcelona were defeated 1–0 by Brazilian club Internacional in the final.[46] Ronaldinho was nonetheless the recipient of the Bronze Ball Award for the competition.
The next day, Ronaldinho finished third in the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, behind World Cup-winning captainFabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane.[47] He was forced to miss a charity match on 13 March due to an injury he had picked up several days earlier in Barcelona's 3–3 El Clásicodraw with Real Madrid.[48][49] Although Ronaldinho scored his career-best 21 league goals, the team lost the title to Real with a worse head-to-head record, as both teams finished the season with the same number of points.[31][50]
2007-08 season
He played his 200th career match for Barcelona in a league match againstOsasuna on 3 February 2008. However, his 2007–08 campaign as a whole was plagued by injuries, and a muscle tear in his right leg on 3 April prematurely ended his season.[51] On 19 May, Laporta stated that Ronaldinho needed a "new challenge", claiming that he needed a new club if he were to revive his career.[52] Manchester City ownerThaksin Shinawatra confirmed on 6 June that he was interested in acquiring him.[53]
Ronaldinho and Barcelona teammateLionel Messi each captained a team of international stars in an anti-racism exhibition match in Venezuela on 28 June, which ended in a 7–7 draw. Ronaldinho finished with a pair of goals and two assists in what would be his last match as a Barcelona player.[54] In preparation for the 2010 Joan Gamper Trophy, Ronaldinho sent an open letter to the fans and players of Barcelona, stating that his best years had been the five he spent in the Catalan club.[55] It was a sad moment for him and he later said in an interview that he regretted leaving without playing long enough with Messi.[56]
Milan
Ronaldinho playing for Milan in 2008
In July 2008, Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City[57] to join Italian Serie A giantsMilan on a three-year contract thought to be worth around £5.1 million (EUR6.5 million) a year, for €22.05M plus €1.05M bonus each season (€24.15M in 2010).[58][59][60] With the number 10 already occupied by teammate Clarence Seedorf, he selected 80 as his jersey number.
Ronaldinho playing for Milan in 2010
2008-09 season
Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Milan in a 1–0 derby victory over rivalInternazionale on 28 September 2008. His first brace was in a 3–0 win overSampdoria on 19 October 2008. He scored a 93rd-minute match-winner against Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage on 6 November. He finished his first season at Milan with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions. After a good start to the season, Ronaldinho struggled with fitness, and was often played from the bench to end a disappointing first season for Milan.
2009-10 season
His second season did not begin on a high note, although he started nearly every match before finding himself on the bench again. After a while, Ronaldinho rediscovered his form and was arguably Milan's best player of the season. He changed his role from an attacking midfielder to a left winger, a more familiar role.
Ronaldinho against Real Madrid
On 10 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored two goals against Juventus in an away match, sealing a 3–0 victory for the Rossoneri. In the following match against Siena on 17 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored his first hat-trick for Milan when he converted a spot kick, scored with a header from a corner and finished with a wonder goal from 20 yards out.[61] On 16 February, Ronaldinho played his first match against Manchester United in aChampions League game at the San Siro.[62] He scored early in the game to give Milan the lead. Milan ended up losing the game 3–2, with a goal fromPaul Scholes and two goals from Wayne Rooney.[62]
Ronaldinho finished the season as the assists leader of Serie A. On a less positive note, Ronaldinho missed three penalties in the 2009–10 season, to add to one botched kick the previous season. Ronaldinho ended the season scoring two goals against Juventus.Luca Antonini opened the scoring andMilan went on to win 3–0. It wasLeonardo's last game in charge.[63]
Flamengo
Ronaldinho celebrates scoring forFlamengo in February 2011
After being heavily linked with a move back to his childhood club Grêmio, Ronaldinho joined Flamengo on 11 January 2011 with a contract ending in 2014.[64] During the transfer saga, many reports had linked the former World Player of the Year to joining different clubs such as Los Angeles Galaxy,Corinthians, Palmeiras and English FA Premier League side Blackburn Rovers. He was greeted by more than 20,000 fans at his unveiling at his new club on 13 January 2011.[65]
He scored his first goal for Flamengo in the 3–2 victory against Boavista on 6 February 2011.[66] On 27 February Ronaldinho converted a second-half free kick for Flamengo to beat Boavista1–0 and win his first piece of silverware with the team, the Taça Guanabara. Ronaldinho lifted his first trophy with Flamengo after curling in a right-footed shot over the wall in the 71st minute atEngenhão stadium. The goal gave Flamengo its 19th Taça Guanabara title, which earned the Campeonato Cariocatitle two months later, as the team also won the Taça Rio. On 27 July 2011, Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick in Flamengo's 5–4 away win against rivalsSantos, after being 3–0 down inside the first 30 minutes.[67]
On 31 May 2012, after being absent for a few days, he sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and cancelled his contract with the club.[68]
Ronaldinho playing for Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian Série A in June 2013.
Atlético Mineiro
Ronaldinho made a surprise move toAtlético Mineiro on 4 June 2012 in a six-month contract, just four days after leaving Flamengo. He wore number 49 in reference to his mother's birth year since his preferred number 10 was already assigned to Guilherme in the 2012 season.[69]
He made his debut for Galo on 9 June 2012 playing for 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Palmeiras,[70] and scored his first goal for the club on 23 June 2012 against Náutico, from the penalty spot.[71] Ronaldinho led Atlético Mineiro to a good 2012 season, in which the club finished 2nd in the 2012 Brasileirão and qualified for the 2013 Copa Libertadores. Ronaldinho won theBrazilian Golden Ball award for his performances in league matches with his new club in 2012.[72]
The following year Ronaldinho helped Atletico to win Campeonato Mineiro and led his club to its first ever title of theCopa Libertadores. Ronaldinho scored four goals and assisted on seven occasions during Atletico's dramatic title run which included consecutive comebacks from 0-2 first leg defeats in both the semifinals against ArgentinianNewell's Old Boys and the finals againstClub Olimpia from Paraguay. Both ties were determined in Atletico's favour after a penalty shootout. Even though Ronaldinho had been injured for a bigger part of the second half of the season he was still voted the 2013 South American Footballer of the Year.[73]
On 9 January 2014 he renewed his contract with the club.[74] Ronaldinho left Atlético Mineiro in July 2014, after reaching an agreement to cancel his contract with the club by mutual consent.[75] After becoming a free agent, he was offered contracts from EnglishConference South club Basingstoke Town and newly-formed Indian Super League franchise Chennai Titansthrough their co-owner Prashant Agarwal.[76][77][78]
Querétaro
Ronaldinho signed a two-year contract with Mexican club Querétaro on 5 September 2014.[79][80] Ronaldinho made his debut for Querétaro in a 1–0 loss to Tigres UANL where he missed a penalty kick.[81] However in his next match against C.D. GuadalajaraRonaldinho had a much better game, setting up Camilo to score as well as scoring himself from a penalty kick in a 4–1 win.[82]
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