Sunday, April 13, 2008

Ronaldinho to AC Milan - Time for rest of Europe to get scared

Ronaldinho set for Milan move - 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.

Former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff, who remains an influential figure at the club, said Ronaldinho should leave at the end of the season.

This is one heck of a coup on Milan's part - Scary for fans of all the other clubs in Europe. Milan have easily been the best club in Europe over the last two decades. And just when you thought that they were on the downside; with a team full of veterans finally feeling their age - as reflected in an early exit in the Champions League and struggles in the Serie, the Rossoneri strike back.

This club is not going to give their rivals any breather. They are not going to go through a long re-building phase. They are past masters at rebuilding a side on the fly and will do it again. Ronaldinho is the most critical piece of the puzzle and the other minor pieces will fall in place shortly. While Chelsea and Inter Milan with all their money have failed to build one Champions League -winning side, AC Milan have already done it four times ( winning 6 titles in the process). And I will put my mortgage on them doing it once again pretty soon.

Their success as exemplified by the Ronaldinho example has been built on mastery in the transfer market. They target the best attackers in the world and just go out and get them. From Van Basten to Kaka, they have always managed to beat their European rivals at getting the top talent. Ronaldinho from Barcelona will be an addition to the impressive list.

How scary would a combination of Kaka and Ronaldinho be?

Kaka almost single-handedly carried Milan to the Champions League title last year and Ronaldinho inspired Barca to victory the year before that. Need I say more?

They will give opposition defenders enough nightmares to have them queuing up for sleep disorder treatment. Usually, the presence of two players of this quality leads to ego clashes- look at Barca which will forever rue letting Ronaldinho go. But managing massive personalities is another of Milan's strengths. They are run like a small family club; have you ever heard of a big time player leaving Milan acrimoniously. Never.

Some people will be comforted by the sight of Milan's creaking defense and lack of a top striker. Just wait till the end of the season. Sheva has been itching for a return and Didier Drogba has also been dropping hints about a Milan move. Expect others to pine for a place in the Milan side. Who wouldn’t want to play alongside Kaka and Ronaldinho? They are great creators as well and any striker will benefit from the chances created by the Brazilian duo. As for the defenders, expect Milan to reinforce their defensive troops from within the Serie A with minimum of fuss. Everyone wants to win titles and your chances are infinitely better if you play in a Milan side with Kaka and Ronaldinho.

The Ronaldinho news just increased the pressure on Barcelona, United, Chelsea and Liverpool. This season could be their best shot at the Champions League crown in the near future. Milan will be back to torment them next year.

Sphere: Related Content

No comments: