RONALDINHO

RONALDINHO WITH PSG

In 2001 Ronaldinho left Gremio to play European football. Despite bids from much larger clubs[citation needed], he opted to play for PSG. During his time at PSG, the manager, Luis Fernandez, claimed that Ronaldinho was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than on his football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil would always drag on and never end at the scheduled times.

In 2002, Ronaldinho helped Brazil win the World Cup. One of the highlights of the tournament was an outrageous 35-metre free kick he scored against England in the quarter-finals in Shizuoka, although he was sent off soon after a foul on Danny Mills. Following the sending-off, he was suspended for the semi-finals, but returned to Brazil's starting line-up for the 2-0 final victory over Germany for the trophy. Having shown his worth on the international scene, there was no shortage on the interest from bigger clubs, and in 2003, Ronaldinho made it known he wanted to leave PSG after they failed to qualify for any European competitions. That set off a bidding war among the top clubs for his services.

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