On 19 July 2003, Barcelona acquired Ronaldinho from Paris Saint German beating out Manchester United. An interesting fact to note is that Barca had their sights set on David Beckham who signed with rivals, Real Madrid. After that he began an amazing career with many ups as well as downs. In 145 games/ appearances he amassed 70 goals. The gifted play maker elevated the game of Barca as well as his own. Among his many other awards, he has been named the FIFA Player of the Year, twice in 2004 and 2005.
When a person thought about Barcelona, Ronaldinho was the first player that came to mind. Maybe captain, Carlos Puyol, entered some people’s minds however the fantastic play maker is hard to resist. When Barca started signing and selling players, Ronaldinho’s name was attached to almost all the rumors out there. Now that he is truly gone, a new Barcelona must find a replacement or change the way that they play. Barcelona has brought in many talented players that some could say are ‘dinho’s replacements. However, are these players future World Players of the Year? I think these players have some big shoes to fill. Here are the possible replacements:
- Xavi
- Iniesta
- Yaya Toure
- Martin Caceres
- Marc Crosas
- Aliksandr Hleb
- Seydou Keita
Out of the list above, 3 players are incumbents and 4 are new comers. The list is a very solid one and any manager would love to fill an attacking midfield position with one of them.
In the end, I question a lot of the decisions made this season. The biggest decision I would have to criticize is Gio Dos Santos‘ departure. By selling him, Barca sold off a potential replacement for ‘dinho. I thought at such a young age, Gio has shown immense talent and has truly proved himself on the field. Another decisions that is arguable, is letting Deco walk. While his sights were set on a return with Chelsea coach Felipe Scolari, he has played with Barca for four years, so he surely does have something in him for the Catalan side. Alas, that obviously did not change his decision. So Now that the Ronaldinho era for Barca has ended, we shall see a new, revamped side. One that does not need a single play-maker but relies on many different play-makers. I am very hopeful for both parties and wish the very best for my two favorites in Europe, Barcelona and AC Milan. Farwell ‘dinho and thanks for the memories.
