Wednesday 23 July 2008

A look at the Ronaldinho transfer



Milan collectively whoops after bagging dirt cheap Dinho

Riccardo Rossi -
four four two - Thursday 17 July 2008

There’s nothing like a knockdown sales bargain to put a smile on a shopper’s face.So it’s no wonder AC Milan were whooping with delight as they ran up the street with a toothy Brazilian dressed in Snoop Dogg’s castoffs, tucked under one arm.

It’s hard to believe but only last year the Rossoneri were informed by Barcelona that 60million euros was a pitiful amount for Ronaldinho.A year later and there’s the same item hanging in the corner with a 21million price-tag stuck on his alice-band. Surely he’s not that shop-soiled?

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani couldn’t believe his eyes and neither could the Italian press who were agog, splashing headlines such as: “The miracle of Milan” … “Dream come true” and the ever-original “Dinho-mania.” Those poor souls have been dreaming of this moment for the last five years and who cares if Milan need him or not? It was good enough to feel a bit of a buzz around Milanello for a change.
It was just the lift the first day of pre-season needed. Normally a few hundred fans would probably have gathered to welcome the stars with their millionaire tans back to work. Instead around 5,000 packed in and around the road leading up to the training complex to greet, well, maybe not the new saviour, but at least a bona fide superstar.

And they were certainly a frenzied bunch, despite obviously being either work-shy or students to be out in the countryside on a Wednesday afternoon. A cacophony of chants, horns and a smoke-screen of flares greeted the star man’s arrival which must have made having to take that reported pay-cut all worth it.

Ronaldinho may be losing out financially, having forgone the delights of Manchester but Milan are suddenly on a nice little earner. Season-ticket sales jumped 6,000 when the announcement was made, 260 shirts were snapped up at the club store in 45 minutes, although numberless as Clarence Seedorf refuses to give up the 10, and no doubt plenty of new marketing opportunities will open up when the former World Player of the Year eventually gets round to playing.

That should not be too long as he certainly didn’t look like an overweight has-been but then it was difficult to tell what was luring under that over-sized tee-shirt. We’ll get a better idea this evening when he dons the Milan shirt for the first time at his official presentation at the San Siro in the front of an expected 50,000.

After that, some magic and a few miracles will be expected from the dream trio of Kaka, Pato and Dinho – could be fun times again in Serie A.

Read more external articles:
The transfer summer so far
Deco and Marquez represented by superagent
Silva versus Arshavin (scouting report)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Messi will take the N10 in Barca now! The King is dead, Long live the King!

cojonudo said...

I think it's quite clear that Mr.Rossi is a Milan sympathizer. He seems genuinely more excited about the news than the fans themselves. If one didn't know any better you'd think the 'Second Coming' was upon us.

Anonymous said...

I agree that we should have gotten more for Ronnie but what is done is done. We can find Liga and Champions League success without Ronnie. I also think Milan will not win everything just because they got him and Flamini. Most of Milan's sqaud is old and it showed last season. We will not face Milan until CL in 2009. However, if we do I am confident we can beat them. So the only issue is that we could have gotten more money. A single player does not guarantee a team's success.

djgiovanni said...

when Ronaldhinio was playing good everhthing was going fine until the game they play in the fifa world champions and they lost the game against the brazilian team, that's when I notice some problems,so sad he is gone, as a barca I hope he does ok in Milan and yes barca need it more money for him he is only 27 he has about 5 more years but ho well, we need Diego he will be a good player in barca.

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