Ronaldinho: what once was, will not be

It's Official: Ronaldinho has reached the point of no return. At just 29 years, the Gaucho is already thinking about retirement. The history of Brazil is one more of the stars illuminating the sky with equal brightness football that transience. It is undeniable that Ronaldinho arrived at the pinnacle of world football, but not known for historical arrive, but to stay.

Ronnie's case reminds me of Rivaldo, another Amazonian wonder what happened to the Camp Nou. The similarities are striking: the Brazilian also gave his best years at Barcelona, to anchor in a Milan after a bad season. Rivaldo went to Italy with a Golden Ball (1999), the world runner-up (2002) under his arm, and many were betting that San Siro dazzle with his magic. That began to decline. After the little continuity and its poor performance with rossonero, call at the Olimpiacos, which could still provide glimpses of talent, increasingly dropper. At 37, he signed for Bunyodkor Uzbek, where he plays in the twilight of his career.

The difference is that, while Rivaldo has decided to end with as much decorum as possible, Ronaldinho prefers the back door. Cobarte have chosen to exit the sporting suicide. His death has been slow football. First he cut the selection Dunga, Leonardo, and now has sent him to the bank in Milan. Just a matter of time before air give Berlusconi the club. Instead of seeking rebirth in some less demanding field (like their compatriots Adriano and Ronaldo), has preferred to be carried away by the maelstrom of destruction and conformism. Amazon's involvement in the sports pages will be there like a flash, a one-hit wonder of the ball, a mere shadow of what once was and will not be.

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