Catch a falling star at your peril, Chelsea

December 4, 2007

Matt Dickinson

As Kaká was confirmed as European Footballer of the Year at the weekend, Ronaldinho’s claim to fame was that he started a La Liga match on the bench for the first time since he joined Barcelona. If that were not insulting enough, the twice Fifa World Player of the Year was said by one Spanish newspaper to have been the subject of a bid by Middlesbrough. Enough to wipe off anybody’s goofy grin.

That football’s greatest showman is in a trough is not in doubt and even if he does not have to pack his bags for Teesside, the trajectory of his career should trouble anybody who loves the game. The fear is that even if we have not seen all that Ronaldinho has to offer, we have witnessed the best of him.

He still has the talent and, at 27, he should have the time to reclaim his perch, but does he have the desire to put himself back on top? It is a question that is just as pertinent at Stamford Bridge as the Nou Camp, given Chelsea’s desire to lure the Brazilian.

In August, Roman Abramovich not only met the player’s brother, who doubles as his agent, but also spoke to Barcelona about making an offer. The Chelsea owner was willing to shatter every transfer and salary record but was told to come back next year.

The assumption was that he would and perhaps Chelsea and other buying clubs, which may include AC Milan, will convince themselves that all Ronaldinho needs is a new challenge after a fifth season in Catalonia; that he is simply distracted.

The temptations for Chelsea are obvious at a time when the beautiful game continues to prove elusive, a point maddeningly reinforced by Arsenal’s brilliance across the capital.

Could Abramovich resist the biggest star in football, a match-winner who invented a move – the espaldinha – in which he can pass the ball with a spasm of the shoulder blades? For all of Avram Grant’s talk of entertainment, there has not been much of that at Stamford Bridge.

One glance at Andriy Shevchenko should provide a cautionary tale about the perils of buying big-name players in their late twenties and further research may also persuade Abramovich to go with his head rather than his heart.

Worries over Ronaldinho stretch back to last season, when he rested on the laurels of being Spanish and European champion. Denials that he had missed training sessions were undermined when he stripped off his shirt to reveal what is known by middle-aged men as a rubber ring.

The doubts about application raged again this season when Edmilson, the Barcelona midfield player, talked about a poor attitude in the dressing-room and nominated “a black sheep” whose identity did not need unearthing by Poirot. “You have people that think differently because of the money, the success, the fame, the girls, easy things,” Edmilson said. “At times, players make their job a secondary consideration.”

Indulgences have always been made for the best players, but a manager needs to draw a line when dressing-room harmony is affected. However outrageous Ronaldinho’s talents, you have to wonder whether Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger would already have cashed in.

Frank Rijkaard has tried carrot and stick and there have been glimpses – including two free kicks against Real Betis last month – of the best of Ronaldinho. But even with Barcelona sitting only four points off the top of the table, the evidence grows that manager and player could end up moving on next year.

Perhaps Chelsea could be interested in both, but when it comes to playing staff, the signs are that they are looking to the next generation. They are known to be serious bidders for Luka Modric, the Croatia schemer who played such an instrumental part in dismantling England’s defence at Wembley a couple of weeks ago. At 22, the Dynamo Zagreb player is full of ambition.

Ronaldinho is still on their list, but it should say everything to Chelsea that Barcelona will probably be a lot more receptive the next time they call, while there would be only laughter if they made the same inquiry about Lionel Messi.

The same can probably be said of Bojan Krkic, the young striker who turned 17 in August but has twice kept Ronaldinho on the sidelines in the past week. As Krkic ran out against Espanyol, the Brazil maestro could be seen seen messing around on the touchline with one of the ballboys. Whatever is said about his desire, at least we know that he has still got that toothy grin.