Ronadinho Back to his Best?

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Hi guys,

The season of football is off to a good start and I must say that Ronaldinho has to be the story of the season thus far. Playing with a new found sense of purpose and determination, anyone who has watched El Guacho in his splendor last week must give some praise and credit where it is due.

Although Ronnie is not yet back to his best, one must say that he has; particularly in AC Milan's last game against Parma, showed glimpses of his former self.

I personally truly believe that the world will take notice of Ronnie again, if he puts in a flamboyant performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow at the San Siro. However I believe his status will only be cemented if AC Milan win titles.

What would be good for Ronaldinho even if AC Milan doesn't win titles would be a recall to the Selecao (Brazil's National Team). Seeing him play at the World Cup in South Africa next year would be great, not just him, but for football as a whole and his loyal fans.

I am a firm believer that Ronaldinho still has the potential to be the best in the world for the third consecutive time, and seeing him achieve this feat would be truly amazing. Being World Player of the Year again will put him on par with legendary players such as Luiz Ronaldo and Zinadine Zidane, who have all won the award on three occasions in the past, and update his status to one of the all-time greats of the game, even though he is arguably regarded as such already.

With that said I'm rooting for Ronaldinho. Go Ronnie! You can do it!!

Ronaldinho Fails To Sweet-Talk Seedorf Into Giving Him The Number 10 Jersey

Ronaldinho who is known throughout the world for his infamous number 10 jersey, because of all the special moments he shared at Barca in the jersey, has failed to convince Clarence Seedorf to hand over the number at Mialn.

Ronaldinho has instead opted out of choosing the next closet number, the number 11 jersey, left available due to Alberto Gilardino's departure to Fiorentina and has chosen the number 80 jersey.

The rationale behind him choosing the number, is because it was the year in which he was born, 1980. It is still to be seen if the company that manages the Gaucho's image will change their name for 'R10' to 'R80'.

Seedorf had publicly stated that Ronaldinho was not needed at Milan before the player singed for the club, probably due to questions in his mind as to where he would play. However new reports had suggested that Ronaldinho and the player had since settled things, with Ronaldinho stating that he always dreamed of playing alongside the Dutchman, but with Seedorf refusing to hand over his jersey questions will arise in regards to the relationship between the two.

Official: Ronaldinho signs for Milan

Finally! The speculation around Ronaldinho's future has ended as Milan has officially announced that they have signed the two-time World Player Of the Year.
The official statement reads: "AC Milan and FC Barcelona have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ronaldinho. "Tomorrow, the player will be in Milan for the medical ,and to sign the contract which will tie him to Milan until June 30th 2011."
I am personally excited about this transfer. As a Barca fan, I just want to say thanks to Ronaldinho for making me a Barca fan in the first place. He along with the likes of Eto'o, Deco and Ronaldinho played the best football anywhere, and really taught me what beautiful soccer is all about.
Milan will be even more thrilling to watch next season, the prospect of him linking with Kaka, Pato, Pirlo, and Seedorf is just mind boggling, especially with Kaka. With his help Milan should be back to Champions League soccer by next season and they are sure to win many titles in the near future.
Much love to Guacho, Barca fans will miss you!

AC Milan Close To Ronaldinho, Drops Adebayor Interest

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani, has claimed that he has withdrawn interest in Adebayor, and is currently focused on securing the services of the top players at Milan, beginning with Kaka.
Kaka has been targeted by Chelsea since the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari, and Galliani is said to be willing to make sacrifices to ensure the player stays at Milan, which means they are likely not to sign Adebayor this summer.
Ronaldinho, who is currently being disloyal to Barcelona, by insisting that he will play at this year's Olympics, is said to be almost back to his best. This according to Brazilian national team fitness coach, Paulo Paixao, who is currently supervising Ronaldinho's recovery. Speaking of Ronaldinho in an interview yesterday, he said, "He is very happy and motivated," "He has rediscovered his joy, and is once again the Ronaldinho we all knew." "He has been very cooperative in the work we are doing to improve his physical form, and take him back to his best." "Even though he has been idle for a long time, he may already be in top shape by the 22nd of July."
Ronaldinho's defiance and his desire to play at the Olympics despite Barcelona not wanting him to go, insists that the player has made up his mind and probably doesn't even consider himself a Barca player anymore. Barca has been rumored to be responsible for the player's lack of form, due to their ill treatment of the former World Player of the Year.
A transfer fee of around 15 million euros is believed to have been agreed between AC Milan and Barcelona, with Ronaldinho being paid 6.5 million euros annually.

Eto'o, Ronaldinho Staying?

With both Ronaldinho and Eto'o out of Pep Guadiola's plans, they were said to be destined on their way out. However due to their high wage demands many clubs have lost or are loosing interest in both these players.
Eto'o is actually in no hurry to leave the Nou Camp and is said to be keen on staying, despite being practically told to find a new club. Eto'o is still currently on holiday, and is said to sit with the officials, to see what they have to say when he returns next week for pre-season training.
Ronaldinho on the other hand has drawn much attention from AC Milan. The club is having a long transfer saga with the player, and the latest news is that owner, Silvio Berlusconi has said that Barcelona is still asking too much for the player. Apparently anything in excess of 20 million euros is too much, as Milan is still trying to sign Adebayor from Arsenal, which is said to cost them around 30 million euros. This just makes me ponder. I wonder if they are trying to sign both Ronaldinho and Adebayor but I highly doubt it, especially after Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani ruled out a double swoop.
So what does this all mean? It just means that Barcelona fans could possibly get to see two of the best players in the team, stay at the club. I am not a fan of Pep's idea to sell Eto'o and Ronaldinho. He should and eventually will, sit with both players and see what are their ambitions. Eto'o without a doubt in my mind wants to stay, and Ronaldinho though said to be keen on a move to Milan, will only move if the right offer is made. As a fan of both these players, I'm still hopeful that at least one of them will stay. Given the chance, I'm confident that they will perform and win more titles for Barca.

Adebayor To Milan Finally?

The transfer that has been getting the most hype in the media for sometime now, is none other than the possible move of Emmanuel Adebayor to a new club. To the surprise of many, Adebayor has drawn the most attention this transfer season, and even though he managed to finish second in the goal scoring charts of the EPL, this comes as a shock to many.
AC Milan and Barcelona are the two main clubs who have been after the Togolese hitman since the beginning of the transfer window. But it was always thought that the player was more keen on a move to the San Siro.
Arsene Wenger, a manger who never likes to loose his stars, was insisting that the player would stay, but later dismissed these comments by stating that the club will have to sell its top players every season, in order to pay for their new stadium at the Emirates.
Adebayor is apparently keen on more money, having stated that he will play like Henry when he is payed like Henry, and Arsenal were said to be keen to give the player one more chance by doubling his current pay.
However new rumors have surfaced through the Italian press that the Rosserneri and Arsenal have agreed a fee for Adebayor, having received word from Arsenal that they are ready to sell. According to the report, Milan will pay 30 million euros for Adebayor and include France Under-21 international Yoann Gourcuff in the deal.
Gorcuff is said to have been one of the highly rated young talents throughout Europe, who joined Milan in 2006. However having failed to impress at Milan, the midfielder was loaned out to Bordeaux for next season. Wenger is said to be fond of the player and would welcome the deal.
Milan general manager, Adriano Galliani, is said to be hoping to wrap up the deal by next Wednesday, the 16th of July and although Adebayor will move immediately, it said that Arsenal won't get Yoann Gourcuff until his loan spell with Bordeaux ends in June 2009.
Adebayor will be the third player to move away from the Emirates this season if the deal does pull through, but I'm just curious, what does this all mean for Arsenal and their title hopes for next season? With Flamini already at AC Milan, Hleb said to complete a medical at Barcelona soon and now Adebayor on his way out, this can't be good for the club. And it doesn't help their stability at all. Besides scrambling to find new players, when these new players do arrive, how productive will Arsenal be. My only thought is that if Arsenal do manage to win the Premier League next season, Arsene Wenger is one hell of a manager.

Ronaldinho to AC Milan Declares Agent

With Ronaldinho still unsettled at Barcelona, his future is still yet to be decided. However recent word from the player's agent and brother, Roberto De Assis, has declared that there is an 80-90 % chance that Ronaldinho, will be at the San Siro next season having claimed that everything is in place.
Ronaldinho's Brazilian teammate Ricardo Kaka, did state earlier that Ronaldinho would love the opportunity to play at the club. Though he will most likely have to take a pay cut in wages as Milan can't compete with Barca in that aspect, I believe he is drawn to Milan because of his Brazilian companions who play there, the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka, Serginho and Alexander Pato.
Ronaldinho was thought to be keen on a move to Chelsea, to join former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who just ended his term as Portugal's national coach at Euro 2008. However Chelsea apparently dropped their interest due to Ronadinho's current form as the player looked overweight, in a recent charity match in Venezuela, and subsequently has been labeled Gordinho meaning "Little Fat One".
Milan has not dropped their interest however and it is believed that the club vice president, Adriano Galliani, is making the trip to Barcelona this weekend to negotiate the move.
I strongly believe that Ronaldinho will bounce back and return to form, and even though he looked overweight in the match in Venezuela, he scored twice and still showed his dazzling skills. A move to Milan could definitely revive his career and trust me on this one folks, he's still the best and he'll prove it next season. You judge for yourself, the pictures above were taken on the 2nd and 3rd of this month, in China as Ronaldinho is on tour there.

What's up with Ronaldinho?

After yet another disappointing season at Barcelona, where the club came up empty handed for a second year in a row and with Ronaldinho missing much of the action due to injury and apparently personal issues. I'm left to ponder what's up with the player who I and the Barcelona faithful loved so much and who a lot of us still do.
Recent news in the press have been liking the two time Fifa Player of the Year heavily with a move to Manchester City as the owner Thaksin Shinawatra definitely has the funds to do so. However one is left to ponder if Ronaldinho would even consider moving to a club of a significantly lower caliber than Barca. There could be several reasons for him moving to a club like Manchester City, but I would say having the opportunity to be the world's best again and reviving a carrier which has gone quite quiet over the last two seasons as the main reasons.
Despite Manchester City being the club most mentioned in the media with being linked to Ronaldinho, apparently according to the player's brother and agent Roberto De Assis Moreier, Chelsea and AC Milan are still very interested. De Assis also made it known that there would be no conclusion to Ronaldinho's transfer saga anytime soon, as the player is relaxing in Brazil trying to recover from injury.
Even though there are reports in the news everyday about Ronnie, the player himself is keeping a very low profile and hasn't stated anything in regards to his future. This puts a huge question mark as to what are the player's views and what frame of mind he's in. Personally I would like to see him revive his carrier at Barca but with that looking unlikely I would prefer if he moved to AC Milan.
Moving to Manchester City to me seems like a huge step down but by moving there the team will most definitely be built around him and playing time will not be an issue. However it's hard to see him playing for City but in football money talks and anything can happen.

AC Milan signs Zambrotta

Milan have officially signed Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona yesterday. No details were given but the club posted an official announcement on their website.
I am kind of sorry to see Zambrotta leave Barca so soon but I am at least glad that he transfered to another club which I personally like a lot.
Zambrotta joins Milan in an attempt to strengthen their defense after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League next season. My view is, great, Milan has strengthened their defense but in the process Barca has somewhat weakened theirs, however it is still yet early days and there is still time for Barca to sign probably two quality defenders in this transfer season. They have reportedly been linked with Martin Caceres from Villarreal and Christian Chivu from Inter. Whoever they sign I just want the defense to be sorted out because for me that is the main area of concern within the team. So with that said, good luck to Zambrotta, Milan and Barca.

Milan want Eto'o more than Ronaldinho

Today the news is that Samuel Eto'o suits the needs of Milan more than Ronaldinho and subsequently he is higher on their shopping list. After finishing in 5th the Italian giants are ready to tweak their squad for next season.
It is reported that Barcelona are ready to listen to offers for both the gifted Cameroon striker and Ronaldinho as Pep Guardiola looks to make his mark on the team.
Eto'o is most likely a brighter prospect for them as he is a year younger than Ronaldinho and they are probably thinking about how they would fit Kaka and Ronaldinho within the same team, but ultimately i think they want Eto'o because when he is on his game he scores a lot of goals.
However although he is a brighter prospect for Milan, they know that he will cost them. Eto'o is reported to cost somewhere in the region of 40 million euros. Giving his key role in the team Barca won't let him go cheap so the number is not surprising.
Even more likely to move from the Nou Camp than Ronaldinho and Eto'o is Zambrotta, as the defender has expressed his desire to play in Itlay once again. It is reported that the two teams only need to agree a fee for the player and he will most likely be on his way.
In conclusion it is still very interesting to see who will stay and who will leave Barcelona this summer. As a Barca fan, I like so many others am left to wonder what kind of team will we have next season as Zambrotta, Eto'o, Ronaldinho and Deco are all likely to leave, but fear not Barca fans, we still have talented young stars like Messi, Krkic, Dos Santos, Yaya Toure and Iniesta. With the addition of more talented players who most likely will be bought with the transfer money received from our current stars the club will definitely rise again. FORCA BARCA!!!

AC targets four Strikers

Hi soccer fans!!! The word out is that AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is in the hunt for a world class striker this summer and he has pinpointed four as his main targets, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Emmanuel Adebayor and Amauri. It's obvious he is trying to boost his attack by signing a world class striker who can help them win the league next season, as he has stated that this is their objective when the season resumes. Of the four I would particularly like to see Drogba playing for Milan, they would gladly welcome Eto'o but I would like to see him continue at Barca and turn his fortune around at the club, Adebayor has already expressed his desire to stay at Arsenal but this is football and we all know anything can happen and of the four Amauri is the one I know the least about. All I know is that he's Brazilian, he plays for Palermo and he scored 15 goals in the Serie A this season. So with that said let me know who you personally think out of the four is best suited for Milan.

What lies ahead for Kaka?

I want to start off this blog by talking about last year's world player of the year Ricardo Kaka. With today's conclusion of the Serie A and AC Milan subsequently finishing in 5th!!! One has to ponder what lies ahead for Kaka will he move abroad or will he stay at his beloved Milan. Over the past couple of months he has been liked with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea. Personally I believe he is going nowhere even though his side will be playing for the Uefa Cup next season, in my opinion there isn't a side around where he fits more perfectly than Milan.