FOOTY FOR THE SOUL

Ronaldinho has spent the past six months in Brazil, leisurely playing out his football career for Flamengo. The samba boy remains unfit and a sucker for late night dance parties and, not surprisingly, he’s only made four appearances for the club and scored twice (one of them the clincher for the Rio de Janeiro State Championship).

Be that as it may, you still cannot avoid the undeniable truth that Ronaldinho possesses the best ball skills of any player on this planet…when he’s not moving at full speed in an actual match. Does that make videos like the one above any less satisfying to watch? Hardly.

Warming up for another 90 minutes on the bench, Ronaldinho can be seen juggling and contemplating which club to visit after the match.  In a moment of elation after deciding where to go, he punts the ball sky-high, turns around, waddles a few steps, and KILLS IT with the barest of touches. Now for some reason or another, his dope of a teammate thought he could sneak in and steal the ball. Instead, he unknowingly sets himself up for a lesson in respecting your elders.

One touch, inside-snake, nutmeg, embarrassment.

It’s too bad Ronaldinho no longer has the drive to perform like this week in week out. Even worse, the video ends just before he collapses from the wind sprint and is immediately carried to the VIP lounge of the recently chosen discoteca.

It may take a minute or so for your eyes to divert from Ronaldinho’s round figure, but once you do, sit back and enjoy. Standing behind the goal, Dinho effortlessly chips balls into the box with backspin, taking them into the net.

There are very few people for whom I would pay to watch train. This guy is one of them.

“May God forgive you, because the Gremio nation never will.”

The sign says it all. The fans’ reaction more so, as they burned Flamengo shirts outside of Gremio’s Estádio Olímpico.

News reached the city of Porto Alegre that Ronaldinho spurned his hometown club for the glitz and glamour of big city club Flamengo, and the fans essentially disowned him. And quite rightly so.

Details are not clear at the moment, but recent reports on the negotiations suggest the club from Rio offered a higher salary for Ronaldinho, not to mention extensive nightlife, bars, and clubs. Speaking of those clubs, he had the audacity to show his face in nearby Florianopolis at a popular joint known as Café de la Musique. When he got there, his fellow countrymen showered him with profanity and taunts, prompting bodyguards to immediately evacuate Ronnie from the premise. Too bad nobody got a piece of him.

It’s hard for me to pass such negative judgment on the man who made me the stark-raving lunatic football fan I am today. But he’s brought it upon himself by acting like a child. What else does he have to prove? This is not an attempt at reclaiming his spot on the national team. This is the final chapter to a long and historic career. And as many Brazilians have done in recent time – Adriano at Flamengo, Robinho at Santos, Roberto Carlos and Fat Ronaldo at Corinthians – after leaving home at a young age to seek fame and fortune abroad, the “prodigal son” always returns home to where it all began. It may sound cheezy, but it is a sign of appreciation and respect above all else.

Even the great Pele, who returned home to Santos in 1974 and played for free to assist the financial woes of his hometown club, said, “If he really loves Gremio, he should play there for free. He is set up for life already, right? That is my opinion.”

For Ronaldinho to make such a decision for money shows the man he has become. Football is an afterthought for him. Where working hard to improve his fitness and regain that spark should be a priority, life off the field has instead become the main attraction for Ronaldinho, to the point where turning his back on the club and town that made him was a viable option.

Ronaldinho has made no secret of his continued support of Gremio from the day he left Brazil ten years ago. Something tells me he would have never imagined the day where openly supporting his own club would no longer be possible. Don’t feel sorry for him – he deserves it.

With his time in Europe set to expire, and the ludicrous rumors of a potential transfer to Blackburn since quashed, Ronaldinho spent the last week in Rio in order to rest and visit friends and family devour some good ol’ home cooking. At the moment, it appears that Gremio (his former club), Flamengo, and Palmeiras comprise the shortlist to secure the services of the 30-year-old.  It is indeed surprising that the Brazilian is only 30, as I would imagine most people considered he was much older. And that being said, he should have a few healthy years left in his career – healthy being the optimal word…

As it stands, the pictures surfacing from his visit speak to a common theme which has overshadowed everything related to Ronaldinho over the past few years – food. Lots of food. As you can see above, Ronaldinho enjoyed a night of gorging at a local restaurant, and was happy to pose as Buddha alongside the buffet – allowing onlookers to rub his belly for good luck.

Once the tickling session ended, it was down to business. For the three clubs jockeying for his signature, pictures like these are only the tip of the iceberg of what can be expected from the late night party-goer when he returns home for good. Just look at this face, lapping up the site of bountiful culinary pleasures to appease his ever-craving appetite. Those are the eyes of a tiger intent on devouring its prey. Nothing will ever get in between that.

(Photos courtesy of Corriere dello Sport)