Ronaldinho Finally Sign For Milan

Ronaldinho has agreed initial terms with AC Milan and the Serie A club will now speak to Barcelona about a deal, Milan and the player's agent have said.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has had a difficult few months at the Nou Camp because of injury and loss of form and a move has long been mooted.

The forward is out for the rest of the campaign with a leg injury and a transfer can not officially go through until the end of the season.

'In general Ronaldinho and Milan are in agreement,' his agent and brother Roberto de Assis was quoted as saying on the Gazzetta dello Sport website on Saturday.

Gazzetta said a deal up to 2012 worth eight million euros ($12.6 million) a year was in the pipeline with a few clauses to be agreed.

Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani said: 'There is a general agreement with the player. Now a deal has to be reached with Barcelona. Give us time.'

Spanish and Italian media reports have speculated about a transfer fee of between 20 and 30 million euros while some newspapers have talked about Ronaldinho buying up the rest of his contract at Barca.

Milan are fifth in Serie A and in danger of missing next year's Champions League after a poor season. They were dumped out of this year's Champions League as holders by Arsenal in the first knockout round.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have struggled to score and create goals with Brazilian Ronaldo playing just a handful of games before being ruled out long term with a knee injury.

Fellow striker Alberto Gilardino has been lacklustre and world player of the year Kaka has been far from his best.

Despite their troubles, Ancelotti has been assured of his job next term.

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Are Milan And Inter Really Fighting Over Ronaldinho?

Are Milan And Inter Really Fighting Over Ronaldinho?

Just as Milan’s interest in signing Ronaldinho looked to have cooled, along came Inter with an announcement that they want to sign the player. Gil Gillespie peers through the smoke and mirrors and tries to discover the truth behind the Milanese clubs' intentions.

In the red corner we have Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani. In the blue corner are Massimo Moratti and Roberto Mancini. And in the middle is Ronaldinho, Brazilian footballing superstar, twice FIFA World Player of the Year and a fading idol currently sinking as fast as an unhappy, out-of-form fly in Frank Rijkaard's mid-morning cappuccino.

Welcome to the one-city, two-club battle for to sign Ronaldinho - an event where no-one should be taken at face value and no words should be treated as gospel.

Milan are known to be long-time admirers of Barcelona's unsettled 'fantasista', but the club's interest was generally thought to have dwindled in recent months, just like the form and commitment of the player himself.

But then Inter signed a mammoth 10-year sponsorship deal with Nike, and the mischievous Roberto Mancini made his "nobody believed me when I talked about Ronaldinho" speech. Suddenly Milan were forced to prick up their ears again. (Or so we are led to believe.)

Whether Inter are genuinely interested in Ronaldinho or not is beside the point. The Nerazzurri have left their neighbours in an extremely uncomfortable position by merely declaring their interest.

After tracking the player for the last two years, can the Rossoneri just allow him to be snapped up from under their noses by their neighbours and biggest rivals?

And, according to prominent Italian broadsheet the Corriere della Sera, it is Milan who are now favourites to sign the Barca star as they have allegedly agreed to allow him to have complete control over his image rights.

"Not true," says Silvio Berlusconi. As always, the signing of Ronaldinho is a subject he's never been consistent on. He has openly voiced his admiration for the Barca playmaker for the last two years. Yet only a week ago the Milan president issued a clear statement of denial about his club’s interest in the Gaucho.

"I don't think Ronaldinho represents a great objective for us," said the perma-tanned former PM. "We must keep an eye on the balance in the dressing room... his purchase is not a priority for Milan."

But that was before Mancini stirred up this particular hornet's nest with his well-chosen press conference soundbites.

So have Milan really taken Mancini's bait? It's difficult to say. But you have to ask yourself, why would the world and European champions want a player like Ronaldinho anyway?

First of all, they have Kaka, who plays, more or less, in the same position that Ronaldinho occupies. Would Ancelotti ask Kaka to play out wide or drop deeper into midfield? Not a chance. Would he play the two of them behind a lone striker, probably Pato? It's a bit late in the day for Ancelotti to suddenly throw out a tactical approach that he has developed over many years and had so much success with, just so he can accommodate a potentially disruptive player whose best days may well be behind him.

The mind wanders back to 2002 when the Rossoneri brought another former World Player of the Year to the San Siro from Barcelona. Rivaldo spent the majority of his one disastrous season at Milan keeping the bench warm. He didn't fit. He just wasn't a Milan kind of player.

Neither is Ronaldinho.

But it’s not Ancelotti who has the final say as to who is signed and who isn’t signed, as we discovered when it was revealed that Berlusconi vetoed the deals to bring Gianluigi Buffon and Luca Toni to the San Siro in the summer.

But now, surely, the club's transfer targets lie elsewhere - with Gianluca Zambrotta, for example - and finding a replacement for the hapless, hopeless Dida. Thus even with £100 million to spend in the summer, it would be a surprise if Milan signed Ronaldinho.

So what about Inter? Is the Nerazzuri's interest in getting Ronaldinho to sign on the dotted line genuine, or merely provocative? They certainly have more room to accommodate the player on the pitch, even with Luis Antonio Jiménez exceeding expectations playing in the hole behind Ibrahimovic and Cruz.

And Ibrahimovic himself has given his approval to the idea. "Ronaldinho at Inter? Everyone would like to play with him,” the goal-bothering Swede told the Corriere dello Sport.

But despite these comments and those of Mancini, Inter's president Massimo Moratti has attempted to pour cold water on the whole story.

He reacted to the accusations made by Milan's chief executive Adriano Galliani, who claimed that he had been told of Inter's interest in Ronaldinho by Barcelona president Joan Laporta himself.

"Galliani maybe knows more than I do, but it's not true," said the Inter president. "I don't know who has spoken to him, but at this time the information he has is not correct."

In truth, it's impossible to know what is really going on beneath this curtain of double-speak, half-truths and Machiavellian double-bluffing. Maybe Inter are serious about signing Ronaldinho. Maybe they are just pulling their old sparring partner's leg. Maybe Milan will respond to Inter's noises. Maybe Inter are simply showing their fans that they have the financial muscle to compete with their nearest neighbours if they choose to do so.

Whatever the reality of the situation, both clubs need to ask themselves just how effective the Brazilian shoe-shuffler is likely to be in Serie A in his current state of mind, anyway. If he's finding life tough in the defensively liberal world of the La Liga, how will he cope with the fierce shadowing of Italy's most uncompromising back lines? Has he even still got it in him to rise to such a daunting new challenge? Because, right now, Ronaldinho looks as if he'd like to spend more time on the bench - or the beach - and less on the training pitch.

But before he unpacks his Bermuda shorts and lies back on the sun lounger, there is one other factor in this very complicated equation that hasn't been dealt with yet.

Chelsea may yet have the final say in where Ronaldinho plays his football next season. According to the influential player's agent Enzo Bronzetti, Ronaldinho will definitely join up with his former Barca coach Henk ten Cate at Stamford Bridge in the summer. It is a rumour that Spanish sports daily Marca has been talking up for some time and it makes more sense than the ones that see him going to either of the Milan giants. Roman Abramovich is rich enough - and perhaps naive enough - to take a gamble on such a global superstar, regardless of whether his powers are on the wane.

So for all the noise currently emanating from the city of Milan, London could well be the place you are most likely to find Ronaldinho playing his football next season.

Then again, he could always stay with Barcelona.

What do you think? Are Milan and Inter serious about bringing the Brazilian superstar to Italy? Or are they both bluffing, waiting for each other to blink? Where do you think Ronaldinho will be playing in 2008/09?

La Liga Weekend Round-Up: Zaragoza Back On Track, Espanyol Lose Out

Saturday 19 January 2008 (all times local)
20:00 Getafe 3 - 2 Sevilla (report)
22:00 Villarreal 3 - 0 Valencia (report)
Saturday 20 January
17:00 Osasuna 2 - 0 Athletic
17:00 Zaragoza 3 - 1 Murcia
17:00 Levante 2 - 2 Mallorca
17:00 Almeria 1 - 0 Deportivo
17:00 Valladolid 2 - 1 Espanyol
17:00 Betis 1 - 1 Recreativo
19:00 Atletico Madrid - Real Madrid
21:00 Barcelona - Racing

CA Osasuna 2 - 0 Athletic Club


A late onslaught arrested Osasuna's slide and goal drought in one fell swoop.

There was little for the derby-ready fans to cheer about in the first half, with Javi Martinez's low drive for the visitors being the best chance of the first half.

If anything, the beginning of the second was even duller, with the hope that substitutions might change things around.

That they did, for Osasuna quickly began to press forward.

And it paid off 68 minutes in when Dady made it 1-0, evading the defence to barrel home from range.

Just sixty seconds afterwards, young gun Carlos Vela doubled his side's advantage with a one-on-one effort past Aranzubia; the shot, as powerful as it was accurate, crashed home off the post.

That was enough to leave Athletic stumbling in a daze, and to seal three vital points in what was as much a relegation battle as a Basque-Navarre one.


Real Zaragoza 3 - 1 Real Murcia


Zaragoza registered a Liga win for the first time since October, giving new coach Ander Garitano a winning start (if one excludes the Copa.)

Diogo had a fine chance early on, but Alvaro Mejia almost opened for the visitors in what were rather even preliminary exchanges.

However, Ricardo Oliveira gave the home fans a chance to shout half an hour in when he swept through a directionless visiting defence to get on the end of Sergio Garcia's through ball and fire home.

Zaragoza fans have endured so many false dawns before that they would have greeted the half time interval with caution more than optimism. However, they were given a clear sight of victory on the hour mark when Diego Milito capped off a period of pressure with his side's second.

The prolific Argentine got on the end of a long ball to go face-to-face with Notario, winning the duel with ease.

Milito then struck again late on after an extraordinary team move to well and truly banish the demons of the blanquillos' hellish run, while bringing with it an end to Murcia's decent form of late. Even Ivan Alonso's late solo effort for the visitors would have been of little consolation.


Levante UD 2 - 2 RCD Mallorca



For the second week running, those remaining Levante fans were treated to some late heartbreak on their own patch, only this time they were able to turn the tables on their tormentors.

It had all started so well for them: Alex Geijo made it 1-0 early on with a simple finish after picking up a cross from the left. It had been coming for some time, too, as Mallorca struggled to follow up their recent Copa success in the Liga.

However, they did eventually find their feet, and Dani Guiza appeared on the half hour mark to tap home after a stupendous long pass from Ariel Ibagaza.

Both sides had their chances in the second period, but yet again the hosts began to tire towards the end; thus, Kujovic became the busier of the two 'keepers.

And eventually he was to pick the ball out of the net when Guiza struck his second thirteen minutes from time, Borja Valero's pass into the box proving sufficient for the ex-Getafe man to feast on.

But when Alvaro popped up two minutes from time to seal a point, those home fans could, if not cheer exactly, certainly crack a wry smile.


UD Almeria 1 - 0 Deportivo La Coruna


Depor and Almeria fought out a snooze-worthy 90 minutes before the hosts sealed their second late win in a week thanks to an injury-time goal.

Neither coach found themselves animated much in the first period, watching proceedings from the technical area with the curious detachment of an anthropologist.

Their subjects were giving them relatively little to be excited about, in fairness. Felipe Melo was perhaps the sole true source of inspiration as he attempted to give his side the impetus to break forward, but for the most part this was an even encounter.

The second half sawmmore of the same, but, perhaps mindful of goings-on in Pamplona, Depor began to press forward as their relegation woes deepened. Still, Alemria were still holding the bulk of possession.

It seemed set to end as a goalless draw, only for Ruben Martin Pulido to score from close range three minutes into stoppage time after a good combination between Juanito and Corona.



Real Valladolid 2 - 1 RCD Espanyol


A record-breaking strike from Valladolid set the hosts en route to a win over struggling, aimless Espanyol.

Valladolid were off to a flyer when on-form striker Joseba Llorente got on the end of a long ball from Victor, controlled it deftly, then shot past Lafuente - all virtually straight from kick-off.

That was the fastest goal ever scored in Liga football, clocking in at 7.42 seconds, a full .58 faster than Dario Silva's goal in Malaga vs. Valladolid in 2000.

Llorente managed to cap off a memorable afternoon with his second on the half hour mark, and it was a fully merited one at that. The Basque forward was once again put through masterfully by Victor, and wasted no time in converting from close range.

Espanyol were all at sea, and although they managed to pull one back through a far-post header from Marc Torrejon midway through the second half, Valladolid were the better side.

Indeed, Capdevila and Vivar Dorado each had chances to make it 3-1 before the end, but the three points were already in the bag.


Real Betis 1 - 1 Recreativo de Huelva


The hosts may feel that they should have won this game, but a moment of madness in defence cost them two points.

That said, it was even in the first half. Camunas and Javi Guerrero came close for the visitors, while Capi and Edu really should have netted for the verdiblancos.

Javi Guerrero had arguably the best chance of the game right after the break, but after that, it was almost all Betis.

Thus it was no surprise when Edu got on the end of Caffa's cross from the left to bundle home 57 minutes in.

But almost straight from the restart, Javi Guerrero's bobbling header beat Ricardo, who was perhaps shocked at the lack of marking on the Recre forward.

The Beticos pressed and pressed right at the end, but Recre were able to hold out to take a point back down to Huelva with them.