Ronaldinho Discusses Lionel Messi's 1st Barcelona Goal, Talks Neymar and More
Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has hailed the development of two of the club’s brightest stars, Lionel Messi and Neymar, in an exclusive interview with the Blaugrana’s official website.
The Brazilian enjoyed five remarkable years at the Camp Nou between 2003 and 2008, winning two league championships, two Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League. It means he was privileged to play alongside the current incumbent of his old no. 10 shirt Messi, and Ronaldinho spoke about his joy at helping to get the forward up and running.
“My fondest memory with him was his first-ever goal,” said Ronaldinho. “It’s nice to know that I provided the pass. It was a very special moment for me.” He added, "It’s really nice to see how he’s grown.”
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Indeed, when Ronaldinho left Barcelona, the club needed a new talisman. The Brazilian grew into the finest player in the world during his time at the Camp Nou, dazzling defences with his brazen trickery, stunning dribbling and patent for affecting big games with moments of genius. Ronaldinho, endearingly, did it all with a smile, too.
Messi has taken on this mantle and then some. While Ronaldinho won the FIFA gong for the finest individual player in world football twice at Barca, the Argentina skipper has four Ballon d’Or titles and has won a multitude of honours in the iconic jersey.
He's still a major force too. As noted here by messi10stats, even though Messi has been out injured recently, he’s still top of a variety of key statistical categories:
"Messi has missed 12 games due to injury. He still has the most goals and most assists in 2015. What a player.. pic.twitter.com/ylqn6LXNxA
— Leo Messi (@messi10stats) November 11, 2015"
Barcelona haven’t suffered too much either, especially with Neymar stepping up to help fill the void left by his stricken team-mate. Naturally, Ronaldinho admitted he’s been extremely impressed by the recent performances turned in by his compatriot, backing him to reach similar heights to himself and Messi.
“[Neymar] could become the greatest player in the world,” said the former Selecao star. “He’s phenomenal. It’s a joy to see another Brazilian making history.”
At the moment, Neymar is relishing being the critical component in the Barcelona attack. Alongside Luis Suarez, the Brazilian has helped the Blaugrana preserve a formidable offensive threat without Messi, and he has done so with a swagger—his stunning goal against Villarreal at the weekend was a clear indicator of his confidence.
As Ben Hayward of Goal noted, it was a strike reminiscent of Ronaldinho during his own Barcelona heyday:
The former Barcelona man also had kind words for current manager Luis Enrique, who he thinks “will be one of the best coaches in the world.” Andres Iniesta was also singled out for special praise, with Ronaldinho stating “when I see him play these days, he reminds me of Xavi.”
It’s clear by the effusive praise sent the way of some of the club’s current stars that the Blaugrana still means a lot to Ronaldinho.
As C.C relays here, the Brazilian got pretty emotional when discussing the team:
"Ronaldinho in tears talking about his Barca memories during his interview. What a legend. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NjHIGpIPPF
— C.C (@ElAficionadofcb) November 11, 2015"
Ronaldinho certainly showed the way for players such as Messi and Neymar. Messi was aided in the early days of his Barca career by Ronaldinho; he has already surpassed his former team-mate and will be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever kick a ball. Now, it’ll be intriguing to see whether or not Messi can play a similar role in the development of Neymar in years to come.
There are certainly parallels, and while the Barca No. 10 still has many years left in him at the very top, there will come a point when the dynamic will shift. Recent displays suggest Neymar is ready to take on the challenge when the day does come, just as Messi did when Ronaldinho left the Camp Nou behind.
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