Ronaldinho reflects on his career and relationship with Milan and Inter

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho recently appeared as a guest on the Champions Lounge, a football discussion show. During the conversation, he shared insights about his illustrious career, his time at AC Milan, and his admiration for various players.

Reflecting on his football influences, Ronaldinho stated, “For us Brazilians, Pelé is the greatest of all time, but at my home, Maradona has always been Diego, different from everyone else. What can be said about him? Spectacular, the best I’ve ever seen play. I spent a lot of time with him; not just as a player but as a man, he was always like an older brother to me. It was beautiful to be with him.”

He expressed his love for the game: “I was a happy player. I did what I loved most and thank God I succeeded; playing is what I loved most in the world.” He reminisced about one of his memorable goals against Chelsea, saying, “I didn’t think about it! It just happened. I thought about the easiest and quickest thing to do, and it came.”

When discussing current players, Ronaldinho mentioned, “Today there are many players who make me smile; they bring me joy. Messi, Neymar… many players are good. Football is always beautiful, no matter the match or where you are. It always makes you feel excited and dream.” He also admired Roberto Baggio among Italians: “I liked him too much. Among defenders, Cafu always put me in difficulty during training; he is one of the strongest. Then there’s Maldini, a leader.”

In describing his ideal formation, Ronaldinho said: “In my 4-3-1-2 formation, Dida would be in goal. The right-back would be Cafu and left-back Roberto Carlos. The two center-backs are Paolo Maldini and Rafa Marquez. Thiago Motta would play as the playmaker while Deco and Andrea Pirlo would be the two central midfielders. The number 10 wouldn’t be me; it would be Leo Messi. Up front would be Ronaldo and Romario.”

Ronaldinho fondly recalled his time at Milan: “The fans treated me very well even before I joined the team. Even when I played for Barcelona against Milan, they called out to me and showed affection. When I arrived, it just grew stronger. I love them very much.” He praised coach Massimiliano Allegri: “I have a great relationship with him; he is a great coach. I had no problems with him.” He also expressed admiration for Rafael Leão: “I like him a lot; I enjoy watching him play.”

Discussing Neymar, he said: “He is a great friend and one of the greatest players alongside Messi and Pelé. He has done many beautiful things for football.” On Vinicius Jr., he commented: “He is a friend to me; right now he is the strongest Brazilian in the world. Watching him play is a pleasure.” He also mentioned Lamine Yamal: “He can follow in the footsteps of the greats, but it’s not easy. We are here to watch him and cheer for him so that he does well for football and Barcelona. He has quality, and we support him.”

Reflecting on his own career decisions, Ronaldinho noted: “I only thought about playing; my brother took care of everything else.” His brother-agent Roberto added: “It’s true; in the past we talked a lot with Inter when Ronaldinho was still playing in Mexico. The deal was difficult at that time. Nevertheless, Inter is a great team, so it’s always a pleasure when there’s an offer from such a club.” He reminisced about watching Juventus play while in Sion: “I loved Del Piero; he was one of the strongest players I’ve seen along with Roberto Baggio. I also watched Platini… they were all at Juventus, which has a beautiful history.”

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