AC Milan offloading Ronaldinho
It seems only yesterday when Ronaldinho was one of the most feared players in the world, with his magical feet mesmerizing defenders and leading to him being pronounced one of the best players of all time.
It all seems to have gone downhill for the Brazilian World Cup winner, as his current club AC Milan appeared to have given up on him and are reportedly looking to sell him to Brazilian side Flamengo in order to raise funds for a replacement.
The move would mean that Europe will lose one of the most entertaining players but more importantly, Ronaldinho will have no chance to return to the level he once played at. After being omitted from the Brazil squad for the World Cup in South Africa, a move out of Europe could be very dangerous for the career of the former world player of the year.
Like so many before him, Ronaldinho's fall from grace has been at an astonishing pace. Everything seemed to be going perfectly for the Brazilian while he was still at Barcelona and it looked like he would continue to produce the kind of performances he displayed on a regular basis in Europe and in the Spanish league.
Under Frank Rijkaard, Ronaldinho had helped turn Barcelona around from a club that was begging to fade into the all conquering team we know so well. A team built around the Brazilian completely dominated both Spanish football and Europe and it looked like it was only going to get better for Ronaldinho as he appeared to be entering his prime.
With the emergence of the Argentinean Lionel Messi though, along with a string of injuries and reports of indiscipline, Ronaldinho's future at the club was put into doubt as Real Madrid stretched their considerable financial muscle and regained the Spanish crown.
When new coach Pep Guardiola decided to take over at the club, one of the first things he said was that there was no place for Ronaldinho in his Barcelona side, a team he would build around the Argentinean star in the making, Lionel Messi.
Once it was announced that the great Ronaldinho was surplus to requirements at Barcelona, a number of potential clubs came to the door asking for his signature. Ronaldinho turned down lucrative contract offers, including one from Manchester City, and chose to sign with the Italian giants, AC Milan.
Although the first season in Italy proved to be a slow one for Ronaldinho, only resulting in 10 goals, he improved considerably in the second season to score 15 goals in all competitions. Unfortunately AC Milan could not keep up with their city rivals Inter in Europe or domestic competitions and their title bid faded as they finished 3rd behind runners up Roma.
Despite Ronaldinho's best efforts it seems that the club has decided that he cannot inspire them to a victory over their rivals Inter who won the treble last season. Since Ronaldinho is not someone a manager can just leave on the bench, it makes much more sense to sell him and cash him while he still holds value. It remains to be seen how this particular transfer saga will play out, no matter what happens though football fans all over the globe will be hoping the Ronaldinho they grew to admire so much over the years’ returns with a vengeance.
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