I Apologize in Advance for Writing This, But: Ronnie! To Milan! Again!
By: Martha | October 31st, 2007
I ignored this story when it came up again yesterday, but now The Sun (I know) is screaming in 72-point font that Barcelona have decided once and for all that to sell Ronaldinho — possibly during the winter transfer window — and I feel a certain obligation to at least point it out. The tabloid claims to have spoken with a source at Barca, who told them the end was near: “Ronaldinho’s period at Barcelona is coming to an end. It’s no longer a question of if, but when they sell.” So there you go. Anyway, anything written that big just has to be true, right?
The new price being thrown around is £70 million (about €100 million, if my handy conversion widget is working properly), which indicates Ronnie’s price has risen nearly €40 million in less than a week — pretty impressive for a guy who has done nothing in that time but play 75 lackluster minutes and been booed by his own fans. According to the fine journalists at The Sun, the two teams engaging in hand-to-hand combat for Ronnie’s services are Milan and Chelsea. (Hmm. Actually, maybe we should write some letters, because seeing Silvio Berlusconi and Roman Abramovich engaged in a mixed martial arts battle for the right to Buy A Brazilian would be waaaaay more entertaining than reading which one has more money to throw around.) The Sun claimed last summer that Chelsea and Ronaldinho’s brother/agent had agreed terms, and suggest that, though both teams can easily afford the absurd pricetag, the agreed-upon pay rate of £11.6 million/year (widget says just over €16.5 million, nearly triple what Kaka, the highest-paid player in Italy, earns after taxes) is one that Milan would never match, so the English club is in the proverbial driver’s seat for the striker.
I’m assuming this is mostly lies, but if there’s truth in that salary, Abramovich just made Silvio Berlusconi seem salt-of-the-earth sane, which is quite an accomplishment indeed.
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Comments
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Why would a team in the Champions League buy Ronaldinho in the Winter Transfer window? So he can’t participate? I always scratch my head at winter transfer rumors that involve a player who’s already been run out by a CL squad being sold to another.
Posted from
United States
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Just pretending there’s any truth at all to this: This IS Milan, who are desperate for something good to tell their fans, and who need to make something happen in Serie A. Plus, if you recall, they got Ronaldo last year in the winter and he watched them win the CL trophy from the stand — perhaps they think a cup-tied Brazilian is a lucky charm.
Posted from
United States -
This reminds me of the first paragraph of an article in Barcelona daily Sport (refuting Zambro to Milan rumours):
In Milan they dream of Barca. Not a single day passes when they’re not interested in a FC Barcelona player.
Hee.
Posted from
Australia -
You know, I really doubt ‘dinho will do much in Serie A if he comes here. The bogged midfields and such will just close him down and give him no space for anything, and he’ll be essentially useless. I think Milan would be much better off buying two strikers for a price like that, and then maybe actually scoring some goals. Or a striker and defender. Or well, anyone, really.
Posted from
United States -
First of all I think that this rumor either…
A. is untrue
B. has no chance to happen for Milan, based only on my own uninformed opinionHaving said that, I think that Milan needs to do SOMETHING (this by the way from a die-hard Inter supporter who just can’t contemplate Milan so low in the standings). I mean, if I was in charge of a club in the CL (while I’m dreaming, anyone for a pony?), I would buy (young) players just so that I could rest some of my (older) players during the season without giving up anymore points. Let’s face it, there still a Champions League to be available for next season, right? I mean, Milan can’t tank the whole season and win the CL AGAIN, can they?
Posted from
United States
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