27 February 2023 , 18:40
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Brazil legend Ronaldinho issued a trademark comment as he made a highly anticipated return to a football pitch.
The former playmaker retired from the game back in 2018 following a short stint back in his homeland with Fluminense. Now at the age of 42, the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and AC Milan star was back doing what he does his best.
He made an appearance for Porcinos FC in the seven-a-side King’s League run by fellow Barcelona icon Gerard Pique. The competition allows teams to sign a 12th man every week who could be a retired footballer or indeed a celebrity outside of the game.
The likes of Iker Casillas, Kun Aguero and Xavier Hernandez have all appeared, Ronaldinho agreeing to become the latest in a growing list of illustrious former stars to lace up their boots in the eighth round of the competition. He was lined up to take on Pio FC and had the opportunity to mark a dream debut as his side were awarded a penalty.
Having been probed by the referee whether he would take the kick, Ronaldinho who captained the side hilariously replied: "I'm not going to be running, let someone else run."
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The Brazilian’s side eventually ended up on the losing side - falling to a 3-1 reverse. Despite that, his outing still garnered plenty of attention across the footballing landscape.
Ronaldinho made his debut for Porcinos FC at the weekend (Getty Images)What is your favourite Ronaldinho memory? Share your suggestions in the comments below
It has been suggested in the Spanish media that the match averaged a total of 873,000 viewers across its respective broadcasts on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. It remains to be seen if Ronaldinho appears once more in the competition despite a clear appetite for him to play from supporters.
He has been away from football since 2015 following a brief spell with Fluminense. The 97-time Brazilian international made just nine appearances for the club before his exit was confirmed.
"Ronaldinho asked us for a meeting. He respectfully told us he didn't feel he was able to perform as good as he wanted and that it was a bad situation for him,” Fluminense sporting director Mario Bittencourt confirmed.
“He made a great gesture in saying he wasn't being the player he felt he could be right now. I'll never speak about whether or not he is retiring. That's not something you say about a player of his calibre. He was always spectacular, as player and person.”
He did make a brief appearance for Indian Futsal side the Goa 5’s alongside Manchester United icons Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes but did not return to the professional game. His brother confirmed his retirement in January 2018.
Speaking at the time, he said: "He [Ronaldinho] has stopped, it is ended. Let's do something pretty big and nice after the Russia World Cup, probably in August.”