An Open Letter to Ronaldinho

By: Rob | May 7th, 2008

Ronaldinho enjoys a tasty snack After reading Daryl’s musing on Ronaldinho’s fall from grace, I thought about how much I’ve covered the story for myself, I thought about how much I enjoyed watching Ronaldinho from 2005, and how unbelievable it is that the man who could do this, is sat around, not only unable to get into his own club side but also pretty unable to attact offers from other clubs. Milan, after spending years writing love letters to the Brazilian seem to be trying to get away from buying him. Manchester United seem uninterested. Chelsea, who courted him before to the tune of £60m haven’t commented. Manchester City are the highest profile interested club. Manchester City. I thought it was time that I wrote R10 a letter myself, for you all to read here.

Dear Ronaldinho.

You alright? You don’t seem to be. Things not going very well at Barcelona huh?

Obviously I’m looking from the outside in, but there’s so much hearsay, rumour and whisper around you, where there used to be awe. The first time I really saw you play was at the 2002 World Cup. If you remember, you scored a freaky-free-kick against England to knock us out the World Cup. What I was impressed with, as much as your obvious skill, was the smile on your face. You played the game with such enthusiasm, and amongst all the hard-working-sour-faced-English-’heroes’ you stood out. You played the game as a child would play the game, you ran around, if you scored you looked delighted, if you missed, you still smiled.

Fast forward to the modern day, and I can’t help but notice that the smile seems to have gone. Last season was stastically one of the best season’s you ever had, The English football magazine FourFourTwo made you the third best player in the world at the start of the season and yet the Spanish press came out and proclaimed you fat. At the begining of this season you weren’t even guarenteed a place in the starting XI as Frank Rijkaard favoured the newly signed Thierry Henry along with Leo Messi and Samuel Eto’o. But you should have been able to hold off the challenge of an (admittedly wildly talented) youngster in Bojan Krkic.

I don’t know the exact situation at Barca. The rumours are that you spend all your time out partying, that you don’t train well, and that you have a running fued with Samuel Eto’o. I think there’s more to it than that. You have had your differences with Eto’o of course, maybe you are a bit lazy in training and maybe you do enjoy the occasional drink. If its the case Ronnie, i implore you to sort it all out. You entertained us in our millions just a couple of short years ago, we loved you.

Maybe its Rijkaard. He’s dropped you afterall. Maybe its the Spanish Press smelling blood and doing a hatchet job on you. Either way, Rijkaard will be gone soon, and maybe you can prove the Spanish press wrong. If you aren’t going to be getting into the Barca team though, as much as you love it in Catalonia, you should be seriously thinking about invoking the Webster Clause and buying out your contract. Its £10m of course, but someone, someone has got to want to take a chance on you for that, if you want to mend your ways. Look at it this way – you can either be remembered as an idol who had a few bad years but returned to form and was one of the best footballers of all time. Or you can remembered like your friend Ronaldo will be – as a waste.

Ronaldo’s fall from grace has been pretty spectacular too. Look at him now, drunk in bed with transvesite prostitutes. Injured. Looks a shadow of himself on the pitch. Is this how you want to end up Ronnie? Do you want to be like him? Or do you want to return to be the best footballer in the world? Because you are certainly the most talented.

I can’t help but feeling that it is in your hands. With a bit of luck, and a bit of help, you could return to form. But only if you want it. Please come back soon. We all miss you.

Love, Rob, Champions League Offside.