Debate:Ronaldinho At Milan-Boon Or Bane?

Debate:Ronaldinho At Milan-Boon Or Bane?

So the big transfer story of the summer has eventually come to fruition. Ronaldinho has moved from FC Barcelona to AC Milan with all three parties eagerly expressing their unbridled gladness. Barca have pocketed €21 million, Milan have added another gem to their crown while Ronnie is heaving a huge sigh of relief after he finally shipped out of Catalunya. Yet the doubts linger on. After all, Ronaldinho doesn’t arrive in Milan on the back of a great season. Instead, he arrives on the back of his worst ever season, a season in which he was dumped out of the squad by the then Barca coach Frank Rijkaard, in which he himself pulled out of several matches on matchday mornings, in which he fell out with the fans who had for four seasons fanatically worshipped him. But more importantly perhaps for AC Milan, the big question is whether the signing of Ronaldinho is something good for the club or not. It might seem obscenely ludicrous to many to even remotely doubt that signing the two times former FIFA World Player of the Year is detrimental for Milan but exploring the situation would exhibit that the circus is not all about fun and thrill at all. The Kaka Transfer Story No sooner had Ronaldinho stepped in Milan than his Brazilian compatriot Kaka seemed to step out of the city. The previously murmuring rumours of Chelsea(and at times Real Madrid) hunting the current FIFA Word Player’s signature became a vicious avalanche as Milan admitted that Chelsea had indeed made a huge offer(according to reports €100 million) for the player, an offer which Milan insist they have rejected. Not that one can swallow Milan’s stance on the affair without a hiccup or two. The player’s agent admitted that the player was more likely to move to Chelsea to rejoin his former Brazilian national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari since he wanted to play in the UEFA Champions League next season and could also inflate his bank account by €15 million. Now all these days Kaka has gone on public record to disclaim any reports of moving out of Milan. But suddenly his position at the Rossoneri appeared(and appears) to stutter. Kaka is a very pious young man, someone who was born and bred in a cultured and devoutly evangelical family and who has ideals and values but suddenly the myth that Kaka was never going to leave Milan needs a revision. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani announced that Ronaldinho would be allowed to play in the Olympics, implying that Ronnie would be given everything that he wants to make himself comfortable, but the club is disinclined to let Kaka do the same, which given the 26-year old’s desire to play for his nation in the biggest sporting event in the world, has reportedly and understandably but unwittingly constructed a chasm. The Clarence Seedorf Controversy And then there was the Clarence Seedorf warning. Just days before the deal between Milan and Barcelona saw the light of the day, the (former?) Dutch international midfielder claimed that signing Ronaldinho would be a huge mistake for Milan as the club did not need him. Soon after Ronnie was signed by Milan Seedorf made it clear that he wouldn’t do away with the number 10 shirt, hinting Ronnie to f*** off. The Marco Borriello Threat Ronaldinho might be going through arguably the worst blue patch in his career but at AC Milan he can still aspire to be given the nod ahead of several players. Marco Borriello’s agent has announced that he is looking for a new club for his client while the formation of Carlo Ancelotti's side and the future of some young players appear to be enshrouded in uncertainly in the wake of the arrival of the 2002 World Cup winner. Blessing Or Curse? Ronaldinho is supposed to be a boon for a Milan side that desperately seeks reinforcement and fresh legs. While Ronaldinho is still a classy player, maybe even a legend, you have to be naïve to blindly believe that Ronnie can singlehandedly drag Milan out of the mess. Ronaldinho first needs to pick himself up and regain match fitness and more importantly try and accommodate himself into the Milan set-up rather than have the Milan set-up accommodate him(although given the welcome Ronnie has received at Milan, he could well expect the club to bow down to his wishes). A whisper of doubt remains on whether Ronaldinho can play along with Kaka in the Milan midfield or not. He has not quite gelled with Kaka so far for Brazil as both appear to trim each other out of spaces. And more importantly, it remains to be seen how Ancelotti accommodates Ronnie on his favoured left channel. Ronaldinho is the face of world football even now when he is stagnated in the doldrums and does have the capability to turn himself on. But given his reported hunger for nightclubs, there might be some problem with him again at Milan. And if you mark the words of Seedorf and Borriello’s agent, then the dressing room is already getting heated. So is Ronaldnho a boon or a bane for AC Milan? Would he turn out to be a blessing or a curse? What do you fans think of the matter?