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09/26/2006

RONALDINHO WARNS RIVALS

Ronaldinho - warning for Barcelona rivals.

RONALDINHO WARNS RIVALS

Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho sounded an ominous warning to the rest of the primera Liga by insisting: "We can still get better."

Frank Rijkaard's side have started the domestic campaign with three wins out of three, scoring nine goals in the process, and thumped Levski Sofia 5-0 in their Champions League opener for good measure.

However, Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho is not getting too carried away just yet.

"This season has started well but we can still get better," he told club website www.fcbarcelona.com.

"There are many teams out there that can create many problems for us in the fight for the title - Sevilla, Valencia and Real Madrid among others."

It is Quique Sanchez Flores' Valencia side who on Sunday travel to the Nou Camp, where they have picked up points in each of the past five seasons.

Ronaldinho is keen to buck that trend.

"We are highly motivated towards getting all three vitally important points," said the 26-year-old.

"We must pay close attention to all their players for there to be no surprises.

"Valencia are an extremely difficult team to beat and they have immense quality in attack."

Ronaldinho insists he has not been distracted by talk of a possible new deal in Catalonia.

"I'm never worried about my contract," he said. "I only worry about playing.

"My brother deals with all the paperwork, the only time I worry is when I'm on the pitch.

"I am very happy with the way things are going at the moment. Since I have come to Barca, things have gone well for me. I hope things continue like this all season and for a long time to come."

The former Paris St German star is even happy to live with Rijkaard's famed rotation policy.

"No player likes to sit out of a game, (but) the boss makes his decisions and we respect them," he said.

"I do not consider myself untouchable."

Argentinian youngster Lionel Messi picked up a thigh problem during last weekend's victory over Racing Santander but resumed full training on Thursday and is in contention.

Santiago Ezquerro has been working in isolation after injuring his left quadriceps, and is unlikely to feature.

Valencia, along with Barca and Sevilla, are the only other Primera Liga team to have a 100% record after three games.

Spain striker David Villa is hopeful that record will be extended on Sunday, although the 24-year-old knows it will be far from easy.

"We are very optimistic about the match," Villa told club website www.valenciacf.es. "We know it will be a very difficult encounter against fantastic opposition.

"Their results speak for themselves - champions of Europe, champions of Spain... they are one of the strongest teams in the world.

"Like our team, theirs is full of quality players. If one does not perform then another will. We will have to be alert until the final whistle."

Villa will come face to face with international colleague Xavi on Sunday, and is relishing the task.

"(Xavi is) a great footballer, very important for the way Barcelona play.

"I have had the pleasure of playing in the same side as him and understand very well the way he plays."

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08/29/2006

Gattuso: Ronaldinho deal difficult for AC Milan

Rino Gattuso can't see AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi convincing Barcelona to sell him Ronaldinho.

The Italy international midfielder said: "Ronaldinho is the dream of our president and the tifosi but to me it seems a difficult operation.

"The true champions are not on the market and we do not have the need to buy.

"If someone must arrive, then he should come to make a positive difference. Otherwise, we are still a competitive team."

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07/23/2006

Brazil ace's keepy-uppy

Brazil’s Ronaldinho. (AP Photo)

By ANTONELLA LAZZERI

RAGGED Ronaldinho turned into a World Cup flop because he spent his nights enjoying illicit romps with his French girlfriend, The Sun can reveal.

Gorgeous model Alexandra Paressant said the Brazilian ace broke team rules to sneak off most evenings to bed her.

If that wasn’t tiring enough, she said he then liked to play World Cup football game FIFA 2006 on his PLAYSTATION.

Alexandra, 22, said: “The Brazilian coach had banned WAGS from the team’s hotel but we couldn’t bear to be apart.

“So nearly every night he would come to my hotel room and we would make love all night."

“Sometimes we didn’t even make it into the room, we would make love there and then in the corridor. We are mad for each other.

“He missed me too much and I don’t think it harmed him.”

World cup flop ... Ronaldinho

World cup flop ... Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is famed for his amazing keepy-uppy ball juggling — but is equally skilled OFF the pitch, said Alexandra. She added: “He cannot live without love, he is a very passionate person.

“He is as much a performer in the bedroom as he is on the football pitch."

“One night he made me scream with such pleasure the people on the hotel terrace below heard us because my window was open.”

Alexandra, who watched all Brazil’s games, added: “I know people say he didn’t play so well in the World Cup but I think he played well.

“I made him happy, and when he is happy he plays better football.”

Instead, she says, his habit of playing PlayStation after their romps may have knocked his form.

She said: “He likes to relax afterwards by playing his games. He was playing the FIFA 2006 football game during the World Cup.”

Alexandra also revealed she found it hard to know who to shout for when Brazil played France.

She said: “My heart was torn. I obviously wanted him to win but I am French so I also wanted them to win, it was hard for me.” Buck-toothed Ronaldinho, 26, met Alexandra at a hotel in Barcelona after his £21million move to Spain. She said: “I was with a modelling friend, we were working.

“I saw him but I didn’t approach him because I thought he had the image of a playboy and I don’t like that kind of man.

“But I left my room key on the table by mistake and he very sweetly brought it to me. We started talking and he is actually very shy. I found him cute and so different from what people think he is like.

“He is very cute, very polite. He treats me like a lady. He likes to take me for romantic meals and buy me little presents.”

“We spend all our time together when we can. We spend a lot of time making love, a lot of time in the bedroom. He is the best lover I have ever had. I love him. I love him!” They are planning to go on holiday in Brazil after she finishes her next assignment. Fashion model Alexandra added: “We have a lovely time there, we stay in a little tiny place.

“Sometimes he hires a helicopter so we can go to the capital to shop — he is very thoughtful.”

Brazil thrill ... Alex with Ron

Brazil thrill ... Alex with Ron

Alexandra is due to come to Britain in September to star in an ITV programme about WAGS.

She said: “I met all the British WAGS and they were very nice. I am looking forward to seeing them again. I don’t think Victoria Beckham is taking part but I am hoping to star with her husband David in a film next year.

“I am filming ‘Asterix 3’ and either he or Zidane is supposed to be a guest star.

“I hope it is Beckham because I don’t like Zidane, he is arrogant.”

Alexandra’s revelations will be little comfort to England fans — still puzzled as to what made OUR BOYS fizzle out in Germany

http://www.thesun.co.uk

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Ronaldinho no factor in Brazil defeat

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- The Ronaldinho who left the World Cup on Saturday looked nothing like the two-time FIFA Player of the Year who attracted all the attention coming into the tournament.

The Brazilian playmaker failed to impress or to score, a streak that continued Saturday against France, which eliminated Brazil 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

Ronaldinho called the elimination one of the greatest disappointments of his career.

"The Olympics and [the World Cup] are competitions that are very important and every player would like to do well in them," he said. "It's very sad when we can't."

Ronaldinho played on Brazil's team that was eliminated by Cameroon in the 2000 Olympics.

He was a member of the squad that won Brazil's fifth title at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He played five matches and scored two goals, including a spectacular free kick against England in the quarterfinals.

He also led Brazil to titles in the 1999 Copa America and the 2000 pre-Olympic tournament, as well as in last year's Confederations Cup in Germany.

But this World Cup he was far from the star who led FC Barcelona to the Spanish league and Champions League titles this season.

Ronaldinho's last goal came May 6 with Barcelona. The midfielder was held scoreless in three warmup matches in which Brazil outscored its opponents -- Swiss club FC Lucerne, Fluminense's under-20 squad and New Zealand -- 25-1.

Though he has 29 goals in 70 caps, Ronaldinho says his main role with the national team "is to help the other players score goals."

He did that twice in Brazil's 4-1 win over Japan last week.

On Saturday, he made no impact.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

05/21/2006

Ronaldinho: Star of the Brazilian team star of germany 2006

They call it the beautiful game back in his homeland, and Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho is one player who plays it as beautifully as many of his glorious predecessors, including the one and only Pele.

Skilful, dedicated, inspiring; Ronaldinho is the driving force behind Brazil's challenge for a sixth World Cup Trophy.

His place in the final eleven for Germany 2006 is guaranteed by the coach who has every confidence Ronaldinho can live up to the expectations that come with the title of 2005 FIFA Player Of The Year.

More than a dangerous and exciting player, the current custodian of Brazil's number 10 shirt is a master of improvisation with an attitude that has made Ronaldinho one of the most respected players today.

Unstoppable in qualifying and a star for FC Barcelona, Ronaldinho is capable of re-inventing the game any time he laces up his boots and World Cup 2006 is set to be his finest hour.

At the international level, Ronaldinho averages a goal every other game, having scored 27 in 60 appearances for the Samba Brigade since his debut in 1999.

Brazil's magical attacking quartet, with four players among Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Kaka and Adriano in front steamrolled the opposition at the Confederations Cup last year. Brazil playing the daring 4-2-4 combination employed during the old, glorious days of Garrincha and Pele.

Described as "god's gift to football'' by club teammate Henrik Larsson, Ronaldinho's methods of tricking defenders include "la cola de vaca'', Spanish for cow's tail in which he flicks the ball from one shoe to another in quick succession.

Humble beginnings

What's not so well known is that his full name is actually Ronaldo de Assis Moreira. In fact, he was given the nickname Ronaldinho, which means Little Ronaldo, to help distinguish between him and his formerly more-famous strike partner.

Ronaldinho was raised by his mother in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre after his father died, and joined the youth ranks of local first-division team Gremio as a seven- year-old.

Then followed a two-year-stint with French side Paris saint-Germain in the early years of the millennium, where his manager claimed he was more focussed on the nightlife of Paris than on his game.

But in 2003 Ronaldinho Gaucho arrived in Barcelona, and went from superhero to demi-god status. The 26-year-old has been the face of a resurgent Barca, scoring 24 goals from 68 games for the Catalan giants and being the driving force behind their two consecutive la liga titles.

As the superhero's fame spread worldwide, it was quite fitting when he got his own comic series as well which was inspired by the feats of the buck toothed wonder.

But it will be no laughing matter, least of all for his opponents, when the ponytailed genius takes the field in Germany. After all, no one can forget the way he mesmerised defences in this fashion in his only previous appearance at the last world cup.

From his harsh childhood to fighting his way into the formidable Brazil forwardline to becoming the star of the world's number one team, this is one player who's turned every obstacle into a stepping stone and goes into the World Cup as the biggest star on offer.

http://www.ndtv.com

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Socceroos will need all their tricks against magical Ronaldinho

Four years ago, in a quiet Japanese town, Matthew Hall had a close shave with a master Brazilian now known all over the world

IT WAS late on a Friday night when this Australian came face to face with Ronaldinho. No more than four hours before, Brazil had beaten England 2-1 in Shizuoka during the 2002 World Cup. Ronaldinho had stolen the show from David Beckham, a player fawned over by the Japanese public.

The Brazilian had scored a goal so audacious most considered his long-distance chip of England goalkeeper David Seaman a fluke. It wasn't. Eight minutes later, Ronaldinho was again centre of attention when he was shown a debatable red card for a foul on Danny Mills. Yet with 10 men, Brazil were still unbeatable.

Hamamatsu is the closest town to Shizuoka's stadium and it was later that night, in a deserted mall, where three figures came bouncing through the shadows. Anywhere else but Japan, these guys could have been muggers, out to steal a tourist's wallet or camera. But this trio looked happy.

Dressed in washed-out denim jeans and jackets, they laughed, clapped and sang in the concrete echo of the otherwise bleak mall.

Incredibly, the middle member of the musical mini street gang was Ronaldinho who, after disposing of the English, was out roaming this otherwise dead and dull town with two Brazilian friends.

"Hey, Ronnie, how's it going?" I asked in very bad French (Ronaldinho was playing for Paris-St Germain at the time).

"Yeah, good, it's all good," he replied, in slightly better French, still clapping and laughing with his friends.

"Where's the party?" I asked, chancing an opportunity to join the World Cup's man of the moment for a night on some Japanese tiles.

"Tokyo," he replied. "In a week. The final."

And then with a smile and a turn, he was gone. As on-the-spot interviews go, I apologise and agree this was weak. But let us all hope that on June 18 in Munich, when Australia meet Brazil in the World Cup, Lucas Neill and Craig Moore have a little more luck in stalling celebrations for the best footballer in the world.

It won't be the first time Ronaldinho has played against Australia. In 1999, he came to Australia to play the Socceroos. Despite advertisements suggesting otherwise, Brazil fielded an under-23 team preparing for the 2000 Olympics - the full squad played Spain in Europe a day before.

The games in Sydney and Melbourne, Frank Farina's first in charge of the national team, were marketed as a showdown between Harry Kewell and Ronaldo. Neither appeared. Kewell stayed in England injured, and Inter Milan recalled Ronaldo to Italy. Match promoter IMG threw open the gates. More than 50,000 people paid nothing to see Ronaldinho play 63 minutes in Sydney and 70,000 saw him score a goal in Melbourne. It's a fair bet few spectators then knew who he was.

Times have changed. Farina's Socceroos had featured names like Mark Bosnich, Paul Okon, Richard Johnson and Steve Corica. These days, Ronaldinho is the player people travel thousands of kilometres and pay big money to watch weave magic.

The UEFA Champions League final during the week was not Ronaldinho's best performance, but each time he got the ball Barcelona were dangerous. The red card for Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann may have sparked endless debate (never mind Emmanuel Eboue's dive at the other end which should have sparked a second yellow card but instead led to Arsenal's goal).

Still, Ronaldinho was the player of the whole competition and, ominously, he's now primed for the World Cup.

"Even when you don't expect to receive the ball, you can receive it," said Barcelona teammate Henrik Larsson, whose introduction into the Champions League final gave Ronaldinho a foil that finally overwhelmed Arsenal (2-1). "So you have to be on your toes all the time."

And that is from someone who plays on the same team as the Brazilian. Ronaldinho is at his best when hemmed in by two or three defenders. It's here he deploys skills learnt playing futsal, the five-a-side game popular in Brazil where skill, intelligence and one-touch passes beat brute force.

Watch the Barcelona star when he draws defenders and keep your eyes on the ball as, like a yo-yo, he twists and turns and then plays simple passes with teammates to unravel defenders.

A secret: Ronaldinho studies NBA videos and Magic Johnson tricks.

He also uses another skill picked up from futsal, which uses a smaller, heavier ball than the 11-a-side game.

Often denounced by coaches as clumsy and unco-ordinated, the toe poke shot is a valuable weapon in his arsenal. Ronaldinho pulled it out with devastating effect against Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League blockbuster. The result was a goal breathtaking in its audacity and regularly seen on highlight reels.

"God gives gifts to everyone," he said. "Some can write, some can dance. He gave me the skill to play football and I am making the most of it."

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born in Porto Alegre on March 21, 1980. His father worked in the shipyards and as a ground attendant on match days for Gremio.

Aged nine and known as "Little Ronaldo", he scored 23 goals in a junior match to become a novelty news item for the city's media.

At 16 he was named one of the players of the tournament in the 1997 World Youth Championship and a year later made Gremio's first team, coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, the 2002 World Cup-winning coach who takes Portugal to Germany and who was targeted to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson as England boss.

Ronaldinho made his debut for Brazil in 1999 before moving to Paris-St Germain 12 months later. It wasn't until 2003, a year after the World Cup, that he moved to Barcelona, part of the merry-go-round that had Beckham grabbing headlines with his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid.

A Madrid official claimed Real would never sign Ronaldinho, preferring Beckham for his looks.

Four days after Australia qualified for the World Cup in November, Ronaldinho scored two goals for Barcelona as the Catalans dismantled Real Madrid 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid's usually partisan fans gave him a standing ovation.

After three trophy-less seasons in Madrid, during which Barcelona have reclaimed the crown as the best team in Europe, ever-smiling Ronaldinho is having the last laugh.

At 26 he has been named FIFA's world player of the year twice, won a World Cup, is king of Barcelona, probably most of Catalonia, and if Brazil retain the World Cup, his country.

"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 said.

Ronaldinho's smile may be crooked but a $17.3 million wage from Barcelona, on par with the galacticos at Real Madrid, gives him reason to grin. The Barcelona deal has a clause that states any rival club wanting him has to pay about $250 million compensation to Barcelona. Frank Lowy, Terry Butcher and Sydney FC can only dream.

Ronaldinho has a 10-year deal with Nike, which also sponsors Barcelona and Brazil's national team. Consulting firm BBDO Germany estimates Ronaldinho's name is worth $73.5 million and is now more valuable than Beckham's.

Off the pitch, Ronaldinho wears diamond pendants with his initials ("The referee won't let me wear this during a game," he explained) and has a diamond stud with the initial R and the number 10. His father is dead but Ronaldinho lives with his mother Miguelina and sister Desi in Castelldefels, a beach town south of Barcelona, with pet dogs Negrao and Bola (he has eight dogs in Porto Alegre).

His favourite food is "meat with rice and beans, cooked by my mum".

After football, his passion is Brazilian music. He plays bongos and, as he demonstrated on Thursday driving through Barcelona's streets in an open-top bus with the Champions League trophy on show, snare drums.

"I have to get better in everything," he said. "I can't stop. My goal is to be better in everything - technically and physically - to improve my kicking with my left leg as well as right leg, to be able to score more with my head and improve my game when the ball is stopped."

His car of choice is, like Kewell's, a black Hummer. With Kewell expected to have recovered from his adductor tear, they should share an epic battle in Munich.

But let's hope that after this match, the Brazilian won't be singing and clapping through the Bavarian capital as he was four years ago outside Hamamatsu railway station.

http://www.smh.com.au

ronaldinho child playing and scoring goals

05/20/2006

England can deal with Ronaldinho

'England can deal with Ronaldinho' Chelsea captain John Terry believes that England will be able to "deal with" World Footballer of the Year Ronaldinho if they come up against the Brazilian in this summer's World Cup finals.

Depending on results, England and Brazil are on course to clash in the semi-finals in Germany in what would be a rematch of their meeting in the quarter-finals in Japan four years ago.

But Terry has has taken confidence from the way Chelsea have dealt with Ronaldinho in their meetings with Barcelona over the last two seasons in the Champions League.

And the 25-year-old Blues centre-back said: "Everyone says Ronaldinho is the best player in the world which I personally agree with. But going into any possible game I don't think we're going to show him too much respect or let him get away with things.

"Paulo Ferreira marked him really well and got really tight to him for Chelsea and against England he'd be up against the likes of Gary Neville who is a fantastic world class player and I'm sure he'll know how to deal with him.

"Ronaldinho is a great player and difficult to mark but I'm sure we'll do our best. He's a very strong player, he's got great feet, is a great finisher. He scores goals, he's quick. He's absolutely got everything."

There was a time when the Italian defenders were widely regarded as the best in the business.

But Terry believes that England should now be placed in the same bracket and he is a particular admirer of Manchester United right-back Gary Neville and his preparations.

He added: "I think we have certainly caught up with the Italians, if you want to put it that way, but I'm not saying there aren't world class defenders out there.

"There's (Alessandro) Nesta, (Carles) Puyol, etc. I've had the likes of Marcel Desailly and William Gallas with me at Chelsea and I've learned from Ricardo Carvalho.

"But which defenders in the world do I admire? I tend to think of the English lads really, the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville. I see these people day in day out in the Premiership

"Certainly coming away with England and seeing Gary Neville and seeing how he works in training and after training is excellent. It's not just about games, it's about preparation and he is spot on all the time."

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, believes, that the time has come for England to deliver at this summer's World Cup after insisting one major trophy in the national team's history is "not good enough".

Carragher said: "I talk to the other players about it. To have won only trophy in our history is unbelievable. It's not good enough with the players England have had down the years.

"Greece have done it but we've never won a European Championship. It's about time that England did do something on an international stage. Everyone else seems to do it and we always seem to fall short for whatever reason.

"But I think the group of players we have is one of the best probably since we last won the World Cup - and hopefully we can go and win it again this summer."

He added: "When you look at the favourites for the World Cup, Brazil are a stand-out team and people talk about the Italian and Dutch squads along with Argentina, whom we have beaten. But on paper, I'd say that we were as strong as any, if not stronger than the other nations alongside Brazil."

www.itn.co.uk

Ronaldinho: 'We never panicked'

Football UEFA Champions League

Ronaldinho says Barcelona never doubted despite taking over 75 minutes to break down ten-man Arsenal to win the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Brazilian was subdued as the Liga champions struggled to overcome a resilient Arsenal side, who led for much of the game despite losing keeper Jens Lehmann after just 18 minutes to a red card.

But the Barça number ten insists the side - who scored more goals in the tournament than any other - remained confident they could breach the Gunners' defence.

"We didn't panic," said Ronaldinho, who saw Samuel Eto'o level Sol Campbell's first-half goal with just fourteen minutes left, before Juliano Belletti snatched the trophy with nine minutes remaining.

"We knew that at one moment or another, we would score. We never lost our belief. We were playing well, and we had an extra man. There was only one problem: find that final ball and finish it off. We just had to keep possession and we knew the goal would come."

The world and European footballer of the year added the only trophy that was missing from his already overburdened mantlepiece after claiming a second successive Liga title this season and winning the 2002 World Cup with his country.

But despite having won everything in the game aged just 26, Ronaldinho insisted he remains determined to continue winning trophies.

"It's another title, and that always gives you more motivation to work and improve," he said. "I want to carry on like this. Having said that, you have to enjoy it while you can, so I'm going to relax and enjoy the moment."

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05/16/2006

Bid for a night in Ronaldinho's bed

ZURICH (Reuters) - Do you fancy spending a night in the same hotel room that Ronaldinho, star of Brazil's World Cup squad, has just slept in?

If so, make your bid in an eBay online auction launched by a luxury hotel in central Switzerland where the Brazilian team will set up training camp next Monday before the World Cup in neighbouring Germany.

"We just hit on the idea by chatting among ourselves in the hotel management," assistant manager Philipp Musshafen at the Park Hotel Weggis said on Tuesday.

The highest bid so far for Ronaldinho's double room is 502 Swiss francs ($415) -- with much lower bids of 51 francs apiece being made for the rooms of fellow players Ronaldo, Kaka, Adriano and Roberto Carlos.

The auction (www.ebay.ch) runs until May 29.

Winners will spend the night of June 3 at the hotel, just hours after the Brazilians move out at the end of a two-week stay. They will also be given signed Brazilian football shirts. Normal rates for the five rooms on offer range from 480 to 780 Swiss francs each.

05/14/2006

Ronaldinho says final validates move to Barca

Ronaldinho ©: Getty Images For World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, having the opportunity to win trophies such as the Champions League is precisely the reason he joined Barcelona three years ago.

"When I came here my aim was to win important competitions like the Spanish league and the Champions League and now I am closer to realising that dream," the Brazilian said on Wednesday, a week before his side meet Arsenal in the final.

"Before I came here there were other clubs that were interested, but I wanted to look for a team and a place which I could adapt to rapidly and one that was better for my sporting career.

"I'm very happy that I made that decision. I'm enjoying myself a great deal here."

The 26-year-old playmaker joined Barcelona from Paris St Germain for a fee of $25 million in 2003 despite interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid.

His arrival at the Nou Camp revived a club that was in crisis and Ronaldinho led Barcelona to their first league title in six years in 2005.

The Catalans retained their title last week and now have the opportunity to win their second European Cup in Paris.

Ronaldinho said that playing the final in the French capital, his first destination when he came to Europe from Brazil, would make the occasion particularly memorable.

"It's special to be returning to a city I love and playing in the final of the Champions League which is one of the biggest events there is and that makes me even happier."

http://www.supersoccer.co.za/

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Laureus World Sports Awards, Barcelona 2006 Ronaldinho:Laureus Awards Are Very Important

Laureus World Sports Awards, Barcelona 2006
Ronaldinho:Laureus Awards Are Very Important
"It Is An Honor to Be on the Nominees List"


Ronaldinho

BARCELONA — Brazil and FC Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho has just days to wait to see if he is acclaimed as Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, after a brilliant 2005 in which he was named FIFA's World Player of the Year for the second straight time.

Ronaldinho, one of the world's great footballers, who is expected to be the star of this summer's FIFA World Cup, said: "I am very happy. When I was told that I was selected among the nominees I felt very excited. I already know the Laureus Awards because Ronaldo told me about them. He received an award after the last World Cup. It is a great honour to be present there."

Also nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is Spain's Fernando Alonso (Formula 1), Lance Armstrong (cycling), Roger Federer (tennis), Valentino Rossi (motor cycling) and Tiger Woods (golf).

The Laureus World Sports Awards is unique. It is the only global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 42 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a collection of the world's greatest sportsmen and women. The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.

The names of the winners will be announced during a televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona, Spain, on the evening of May 22, 2006.

Ronaldinho is only the third player to have been voted FIFA World Player of the Year more than once, following Ronaldo and France's Zinedine Zidane, who both won the award three times, Ronaldinho has demonstrated his ability to change the course of a match with brilliant solo skills which has made him the creative force of the Brcelona and Brazil attack.

Ronaldinho, who some weeks ago posed next to one of the Laureus Academy members, the legendary England football player Bobby Charlton, at Barcelona's Nou Camp Stadium, is very excited with his nomination. Now he is waiting to see if Charllton, and his fellow Academy members, vote for him to win the prestigious Laureus Award.

It is only the second time a football player has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. In 2003, as a consequence of his success in the FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Real Madrid star Ronaldo was on the short list, but he lost to cyclist Lance Armstrong. However he was rewarded with the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award that year after his return to Brazil's team after a long term injury.

Laureus is a joint venture between DaimlerChrysler and Richemont, represented by the founding partner brands IWC and Mercedes-Benz.

Last year's Awards Ceremony, in the presence of His Majesty, The King of Spain, was attended by the legends of the Laureus World Sports Academy and Hollywood stars Jackie Chan, Morgan Freeman, Teri Hatcher and Marcia Gay Harden. Among the award winners present were Roger Federer, Kelly Holmes and Greece football coach Otto Rehhagel.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a city with an enormous sporting tradition which has staged the most important sports events. The immensely successful 1992 Olympic Games gave a new impulse to sport in the city. Sport is a part of everyday life in Barcelona and during the past few years the number of high-level international championships staged in the city has multiplied. Therefore it is no surprise that Barcelona was chosen to host the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2006.

Barcelona is a Mediterranean and metropolitan city with the most modern facilities. Its unique architecture, artistic ambience and many tourist attractions have made Barcelona one of the most visited cities in the world. A business and leisure city, it is the ideal place to organise such an important moment of the sporting year - the Laureus Awards Ceremony.

http://theseoultimes.com

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Ronaldinho phones a friend

Ronaldinho has revealed his secret phone calls and text messages to Thierry Henry as he pleads with him to join Barcelona this summer.

The Brazilian superstar claims he is in regular contact with Henry which will be a major concern to Arsenal as they battle to keep their captain from the clutches of Barcelona this summer. And Ronaldinho has told the Gunners striker that there is no better place to play football than Barcelona as the two clubs prepare to meet in next Wednesday’s Champions League final.

It is also seen as a battle between the two best strikers in the world but the Barca hero insists there is room for both of them at the Nou Camp.

Ronaldinho has developed a friendship with Henry after meeting at several world player of the year events and through sponsorship commitments.

“I speak with Henry on the phone quite often, but I haven’t spoken to him this week. This week we have swapped a few text messages. He is a fantastic player, one of the best in the world,” said Ronaldinho.

“But this is not a contest between Ronaldinho and Henry, it is a game between Barca and Arsenal and we all have to be prepared.

Henry is a player who has a lot of quality and he could go to any team in the world and make it better.

“He is so good technically, has great pace and has a lot of force. He has the characteristics of a player that could adapt to any team in the world.

“I’m not thinking to myself that in the final I can impress him and convince him to join us. That’s not my priority. My objective is to do my best for my team. It won’t be me that makes his decision for him. But I can say that it’s always a good thing to have great players in your team and that is what we have here.”

Ronaldinho has become a superstar since joining Barcelona from Paris Saint Germain three years ago.

He said: “It’s special for me to go back to a city that I love for the final of the Champions League which is the biggest game there is in club football,” he said.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com

05/12/2006

biography of Ronaldinho in Barca

Biography

Ronaldinho signed for Barca in the 2003-04 season following in the footsteps of a number of illustrious fellow countrymen who had enjoyed successful careers with the club: Evaristo, Ronaldo, Romario and Rivaldo.

Ronaldinho began his footballing career with Gremio de Porto Alegre, where his burgeoning talent soon brought him to the attention of the international football world. During the four seasons he spent there, from 1997 to 2001, Ronaldinho also started to claim a place in the Brazilian international side. He won the Copa America in 1999 scoring six goals, including a memorable effort against Venezuela.

In 2001, Ronaldinho decided to try his luck in European football and signed for French league outfit PSG though his debut was delayed due to a financial dispute between the two clubs. Although his time with PSG was not as successful as he would have hoped, Ronaldinho continue to prosper with the international team, winning a World Cup winners' medal at the 2002 Japan-Korea championships.

Right from his very first match in a Barca shirt, the fans were seduced by Ronaldinho's spectacular brand of footballing magic. His ability to change the course of a match with a brilliant solo effort made him the reference point of the Barca attack and one of the truly great footballing icons of the opening decade of the new millennium.

In his first season, the team strung together a sensation run of seventeen consecutive matches without defeat and finished in second place in La Liga, thereby achieving direct qualification for the Champions League. This impetus carried on to the 2004-05 season and Ronaldinho and the rest of the Barca squad soon established a lead at the top of the table that would take them to the league title. In addition, the Brazilian's tremendous talent has received public recognition with individual awards such as the FIFA World Player 2004 and 2005 and the Ballon d'Or 2005.

Since then, Ronaldinho has become the leader of the mighty Brazil side, with which he won a Confederations Cup winners' medal in Germany 2005.

Ronaldinho is under contract with FC Barcelona until 30th June 2010.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/

ronaldinho vs Zidane video clip

ronaldinho playing with barcelona kids lol

ronaldinho playing with barcelona kids lol

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