Hands reach to name football myths of recent years. One of those is Brazilian, a young Brazilian who shows himself as a magnet in every step he takes in the world. With that essence that makes it so unique, that teeth and that smile that distinguishes it from the image. And that magic that he spread on each court. Ronaldinho is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, who like most of his famous compatriots carry a nickname that marks them by fire.
In the year of Olé’s 25, another luxury is having Ronaldinho Gaucho (because he is from Porto Alegre) sitting at the table to talk for a while with that naturalness and freshness that he had when he played. Icon of world football, showman of the ball, friend of Messi, with an idol like Maradona …
It is a talk with a Dinho looked as usual, a musician simile, large glasses, a cap and a sports diver. Willing to a relaxed round trip, starting with the passions of his life. Portuñol? Portuguese? On one side a very Argentinean Castilian and on the other a Spanishized Castilian.
-My passions have always been the ball since I was little, and it was always music too because my house has always had music. In my family music was something that has been together. And well, my passions are these, right? The ball, soccer, nowadays doing much more with music. I have more time now for music. Something that I love and fills me with joy.
-Do you dedicate yourself more than anything to percussion? Do you learn to play other instruments?
-I love composing, being in the middle of music, playing, percussion, being with music in general is something that I love. I also love to dance, but soccer was always my first passion.
-Always from Dinho joy and fun are expected. Is that a pressure since like any person you can have fears and problems?
-No, for me it is simple, I have the happiness of being healthy, of being able to do the things I like. This is why I am happy. So I try to enjoy the maximum of what I can because I have health to be able to live on all this.
-Are you most afraid of health? Or something special?
-No, whenever I go to say my prayers I ask God to give me health, my family, my friends because without health nothing can be done, so in order to continue doing the things that I like, what I always ask is Health. I think it’s what we all need.
-Where did you learn the boyish fantasies that you showed in all the courts of the world?
-I always loved being with the ball and it is a gift that God has given me. I was training and doing things, for me it always came out very naturally. I thank God for this. It always came out like this, also with a lot of training, a lot of practice.
-You keep throwing fantasies in the parties for benefit or with sponsors.
-Well, as I have told you before, they are things that come out naturally, after so many years doing them, hahaha. He does not forget from one day to the next. And well, when I have the opportunity to participate in games like this, I try to enjoy it to the fullest.
-The greats of the world are admired everywhere: do you feel that admiration every place you go?
-Yes, it is something that makes me very happy, knowing that everything I have done for football … And in all parts of the world that I pass I have my work recognized and it is something that fills me with pride.
-What is the preferred play that you patented and what do you see that some players continue to do?
-Yeah … No, I think that everywhere, everywhere, every country that happened, everyone remembers a lot about the elastic that I loved to do and that everyone always asks and always talks. Free throws too, dribbling in general, people always ask.
-Does talking about these things bored you?
-No, it doesn’t bother me at all, it was something I loved haha … Even looking at players who have that game feature that I like to see. It’s something that makes me happy to talk.
-What did you say to Messi the first time you saw him in Barcelona?
-We have a very good friendship with Leo, very beautiful, very true. Because from the beginning we were always what we are, without inventing anything. Where he arrived he was very young and good, things went natural. We get along well and to this day, whenever we are close we get along very well. It is not something of ‘well I will treat him well because he plays football well, not because he plays badly’. We get along well because we get along, regardless of whether I didn’t play football, we were going to get along just as well, I think.
The meeting between Messi and Ronaldinho.
-Did you see anything special in him? We all remember the horse in the celebration of Leo’s first goal at Barcelona …
-Well, this was not something that I thought or we have thought. It was something very natural. When you like someone and you have a lot of affection, you are always thinking positive things imagining that things turn out well. because all of us have been through this. Starting young in a professional soccer team, we are aware of the difficulty one has. Well, it filled me with joy to see a young man, my friend, doing well in the first game, that first goal. And by happiness and luck the pass for his goal has come out of my foot. It has all this, my joy was double for this. Watching my young friend score a goal, for a pass from me. It was not programmed at all, it came out naturally.
-That naturalness and that affection is what was seen in the reunion in Paris, in those affectionate images.
-Yes … Friendship is this. Whenever we meet, always in the same way, affection always the same. Not only with him but with his entire family, we get along very well. We are friends, not just soccer teammates. When we have the opportunity to be close to each other, it is always the same. Sometimes when we meet, it is not always that we can be together, it has its day to day of training, traveling, I also traveling, doing my things. Sometimes we stay a long time without being close to each other. And that’s why when we meet it is a feeling of great joy.
-Do you feel very loved by the Argentines? Today the rivalry is different from that of other times, the Argentine also admires the Brazilians.
-Yes, I feel this way and I have to thank you for all this love. Whenever I am in Argentina or when I meet Argentines, I have gotten along very well and I have to thank for all the respect and affection. In the old days they always talked about Maradona, Pelé and if you like one, you can’t like the other. The Brazilians cannot like the Argentines because Pelé is on one side and Maradona on the other… And well, I think this never had anything to do with it, I’ve never been through that and through this. Then, I thank all Argentines for the love they have always given me.
-How do you remember your encounters with Maradona?
-Yes, I went to be with Diego, he was a great friend, a great idol. One of the most important people for my football career. Whenever I have had the chance to go to Argentina or to be with Argentines, I have played with many, I have always gotten along very well. I like Argentines very well and I like them, I like being with Argentines.
-Why do you say that Maradona was so important to you?
-Because Maradona was always an idol in my house. First he was my brother’s idol, Maradona was my idol’s idol. Then I have grown up looking at Diego. My brother was my idol, Diego was my brother’s idol, I went to look at all of Diego’s things, I stayed a fan and I had the opportunity to be with him many times. We stayed friends and it was always a pleasure to be with him.
Messi with Dinho, in 2005.
-Did you keep any of his shirts?
I have, I have, I have, yeah More than one hahaha.
– I suppose that of Leo too.
-No, I don’t have hahaha.
-Let’s ask him for 30 with Dinho.
-No, he is younger than me, he has to have my shirt. He is younger, he has to have my shirt, hahaha ..
-Have you ever had proposals for Argentine football?
-My brother has always tried, I don’t know … Have I ever had an Argentine team proposal? My brother said he had a lot.
-Any preference in Argentine soccer?
-I have always accompanied Argentine soccer and myself a lot I always liked Boca because Maradona played for Boca. I liked looking at his history, where he has happened, the things that he has done. And I always liked Boca knowing that he had played there, because of history, the Bombonera. I have always had a love, I always liked the River so much, the Boca, knowing so many people, but the Boca was the one that I watched the most because Diego has passed there. It is not special affection, I have looked at much more of Boca for Diego. There is no special affection, I like all teams.
-How was the relationship with the Argentine rivals?
-Argentina had great players, I remember so many: Verón, Redondo, Simeone, Ortega, Batistuta, Claudio López, Zanetti. I remember all their teams, they have always had a very strong team. Riquelme, who we trained at Barsa and I loved him, Román was a great friend until today. Aimar, that we have played against since we were little. Cambiasso, we are the same age and since the national teams as a child we have played against each other and we always get along very well.
-Do you remember kicks from an Argentine defender?
-Within normality, right? When Brazil-Argentina plays they are always hot and good games, but never disrespectful. Normal, as always, hard football.
-How did you experience the last Copa América as a torcedor?
-I don’t watch football much. LOL. No no, I like to watch the best moments, the goals. But looking at 90 minutes is not something that I like.
Ronaldinho with his brother, who goes everywhere with him.
-Does watching football bored you?
-It doesn’t bore me, but the good thing about soccer is playing soccer. Looking is not much my thing …
-Many times you play on the beach.
-Yes, I love to play my football, I have it there at home too, I always have the chance to play with friends and it is a pleasure.
-How do you cope with a difficult moment this year, with the death of your mother? They made a very cute song for her.
-It is not easy at all, but you have to move forward, seek strength and move on. Things are like this. What leaves me calm is that she has lived and lived very well. Now is to go ahead and stay in memory with all the things that have been done and that he has left.
THE FIRST HUG WITH MESSI IN BARCELONA, WHEN LEO SCORED HIS FIRST GOAL
Dinho in Paris with Neymar and his Argentine friend Isabel Chapur.
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