Lionel Messi recently made an admission regarding the departure of legendary Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho from Barcelona. Before departing the club in 2008, the Brazilian star made 207 appearances for the Blaugrana, tallying 94 goals and 70 assists.
Yet Messi recently asserted that the 2005 Ballon d’Or winner should have stayed at Camp Nou for an extended period of time.
“The incident was unpleasant. With everything he had done for the club, he didn’t deserve that. I wished I could have stayed with him for a few more years,” he added.
Ronaldinho‘s tenure at the Catalan club came to an end with Pep Guardiola’s arrival, and he afterward joined Serie A powerhouse AC Milan.
During his stay at Camp Nou, the Brazilian served as somewhat of a mentor for Lionel Messi. Even when the young magician scored his first goal for the Catalan club, he gave the assist.
Recent revelations by Ronaldinho regarding former Barcelona colleague Lionel Messi are astounding.
Lionel Messi, who rose through the ranks of La Masia, shocked the world with his exceptional performances for the Blaugrana. Ronaldinho wrote a few comments about a young Messi for the Player’s Tribune in which he asserted:
“You’ll hear about this young player on the Barcelona team. Like you, he wears the number 10. He is diminutive like you. He engages in ball play similar to you. When you and your teammates see him play for Barcelona’s young team, you will realize he is going to be more than just a terrific football player. That child is unique. Leo Messi is his name.”
When playing for the Blaugrana, Lionel Messi lived up to all of the hype surrounding him and may have even surpassed it. In 778 games for the Catalan club, the renowned No. 10 scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists.
The Argentine is largely recognized as the greatest player the team has ever had. The Blaugrana were unable to renew Messi’s contract due to La Liga’s wage ceiling regulations, forcing him to leave the team. In 2021, he moved on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
