Ronaldinho spoke to TV3 in an extensive interview about his career. He has revealed that it was his decision to leave Barcelona in 2008, claiming that he always had a good relationship to Pep Guardiola prior to leaving the Camp Nou.
Brazilian legend opted to up sticks from Barcelona after just five-year with the club, having moved to Catalonia in 2003 for £29m.
“I was the one who decided I should leave Barcelona” Ronaldinho explained.
“I have always been inside Barcelona and Barcelona have always been inside me,” he said.
“I had already achieved my goals and I needed a change. I always got on well with Guardiola and I worked with his brother [Pere] at Nike.”
He added that he does not regret his decision to leave Catalonia and pointed to the fact that he won further titles, such as the Copa Libertadores with Atletico Mineiro.
The midfielder spoke about his passion for football. “The ball has always been a life companion, my best friend. I’ve not been with anybody for longer than I’ve been with her. I don’t remember who gave me my first ball but in Brazil all children are born with a ball or a football shirt under the arm.”
His father’s death: “The loss of my father hurts more now than when I was little, because I was not very conscious of the loss. That said, I had a lot of luck with my mother, sister and brother who knew how to fill the gap. They all did what a dad does.”
Best moment: “Winning the World Cup in Korea and Japan was the realisation of the biggest dream in my career as a footballer.”
Playing at Barca: “Everything was beautiful. To be able to play in the team that my idols did, Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Koeman, made me very happy.”
Frank Rijkaard: “He was fundamental for me. Without doubt the best coach I’ve had. In all games he gave us a lot of calmness and not everyone has that virtue.”
Lionel Messi: “Some would say (best player of all time) it’s Pele, others Romario, even Ronaldinho. They’ve all had their moment but it makes me very happy to see the progression of Messi. We all saw that he would end up being the best player in the world.”
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