Ronaldinho, is today, no doubt, the best footballer in the world. That is why we make a small analysis of their sporting successes.
Achievements:
- Teams: – Gremio de Porto Alegre (1998-2001), Paris Saint Germain (2001 – 2003), FC Barcelona (2003 – to date)
- Titles: – Junior World Champion, Under 17, Egypt 1997, 1999 Copa América Champion, 1999 Sul Minas Cup Champion, 1999 Confederations Cup Champion, 2000 Pre-Olympic Tournament Champion, 2002 World Champion, Korea- Japan World Cup (five-time champion), Runner-up Confederations Cup 2004, Confederations Cup Champion 2005, Catalonia Cup 2003 – 2004, Spanish Champion 2004 – 2005, Spain Champion 2005 – 2006, Champions League Champion 2006
Awards:
– Top scorer of the 1999 Confederations Cup, Rio Grande do Sul State Championship 1999, Top scorer of the 1999 Rio Grande do Sul State Championship, Brazilian Silver Ball (Placar) 2000, Top scorer of the Junior World Cup, Sub 17, Egypt 1997 with 10 annotations, Intertoto Cup Champion 2002, Best FIFA Player 2004, Joan Gamper Trophy 2003, Best South American Player of the Spanish Tournament (EFE Trophy) 2004-2005, Best Forward in Europe 2004-2005, Ramón de Carranza Trophy 2005 , Ballon d’Or 2005, Best FIFA Player 2005
FAMILY:
Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on March 21, 1980, in a fabela (the poorest areas of Brazil). He lost his father (former soccer player) at the age of 7, a situation that he was able to overcome thanks to the support of his family, especially his mother and his brother, Roberto, a former player and figure of the Guild. The latter, his most important male reference after the death of his father, becomes his father figure and an example to follow, he is until now, a person whom he admires and respects a lot. His family is the most important thing, what keeps him focused, that he can set priorities. Your family always comes first, bringing you balance and emotional stability. Thanks to this he has his feet firmly on the ground. Rooted to his place of origin, he knows who he is, where he comes from and where he is going, something quite difficult to achieve with success and fame and the media on top of him.
Ronaldinho explains better the meaning he gives to each member of his family:
About his family: “I am an admirer of my mother, I am an admirer of my sister, I am an admirer of my brother and thus, with each other. My family is like that, it’s something natural, things happen like this, naturally. That is why I love them in a special way and would be able to give my life for any of them ”. On his mother and son: “For me the most important people are my mother and my son. If it were possible, I would like them to have been by my side at the trophy ceremony ”(on the 2005 Ballon d’Or award). About his brother: ”He is my idol. He has been through a lot and has always warned me about what could happen to me. Thanks to your advice, I have persevered. Even after training sessions, on the way to the stadium, at home, in bed, 24 hours a day, I have lived and breathed football. About his idol in soccer he refers the following: “The first one is my brother, he is my biggest idol. Always it was. I had an idol inside the house because he is an example of a father, a brother and a player.
MENTAL STRENGTH:
The death of his father helped him develop a great tolerance for frustration, a lot of perseverance, instilling in him a great fighting spirit and giving him the opportunity to value life at a very young age. In this way, he became aware from a young age of the truly important things such as family, health, and the affection and company of loved ones. This has allowed him to see things objectively without being carried away by success or the media maelstrom, which has affected great athletes so much. Ronaldinho’s talent was always obvious. However, the explosion of it did not occur until a couple of years ago and especially the last one. In France it was not easy, and in the Brazilian team he was not a figure from the beginning. In the U17 World Cup, which crowned Brazil as champion, he was traded in almost every game and only scored two goals. In the 2000 Olympics he was traded in all three qualifying matches, scoring only one goal in the quarterfinal match against Cameroon, a country that finally eliminated them, turning the match upside down. The experiences of childhood were definitely forging his character to make him a stronger and more resistant human being who could cope with the troubles that the profession of football brings with it. It is clear what Ronaldinho experienced in the 1997 World Youth Championship and his attitude towards the issue in the following appointment: “In all parts of the world and in all professions it is difficult to gain a foothold. When the technique is similar, as it usually happens in Brazil, you have to fight, never give up. And above all, work tirelessly ”. This has two readings: the first is the patience, maturity, humility, objectivity, perseverance, tolerance for frustration and desire for improvement that it shows. The second is how talent should be expected, both by the player and by the environment (family, coaches, leaders, representatives, etc.). It should not be rushed because this will not make it appear faster but on the contrary, it can delay it and even atrophy it. It is worth highlighting again the maturity that he already showed at 17 years of age. They are precisely all the previous experiences that have given him and allowed him to develop a fighting spirit, perseverance and tolerance for frustration. This was what allowed him to have the right tools to cope with difficult moments in a different culture, in a strange country, and with another language. That resilience (1) to get ahead coming from the fabelas , losing his father (in such a tragic way), has been what allowed him to become the number 1 footballer in the world. “I wasted no time in Paris. French football allowed me to mature and I am very grateful ”. Ronaldinho is grateful for the training that went through French football meant him, where he did not have easy things, he knew how to take advantage of all that experience, accumulating experiences and experiences, to later put them into practice in the football that he deploys today with Barcelona and the Brazilian team.
SELF-ESTEEM:
His family provides him with a support of affection that has allowed him an adequate development of self-esteem. It is valued properly, it recognizes its virtues as well as its defects. He recognizes the virtues to be sure of his abilities, and the defects to make an effort to seek a change and work more on them. “I am ugly, but I have charm.” Indeed, he is a charismatic athlete, with a good vibe, cheerful, accepts and values himself as he is, without complexes. All this is contagious: people want to be happy and what better than to be with a person who radiates joy and happiness. On the 2002 Korea – Japan World Cup: “From the beginning I believed that we were going to be champions. I think that when we all started working together, the way of working, how closed the group was; I think everyone believed it and I say it was because of that that we won. Because we had a great friendship and we felt a lot of mutual respect. In that Cup, we were a very mature group. So I think everyone had that feeling of security. We all looked at each other. We knew each other very well. When one looked at the other, that one already knew what to do. When one did not follow, the other already knew the brand. So, because we knew each other very well, we were able to become champions ”. This quote indicates a great level of self-esteem as well as a great confidence in the group. We can perceive the sense of belonging, as well as the group cohesion to which they had arrived (friendships within a team always facilitate the unity of the group), to the point of understanding each other with looks. It’s not like some believe that Brazil wins because they put together good players and that’s it. These talents must be properly meshed, adequately put together these individualities to make them a collective. Many times gathering so many talents is a problem because of the egos that are found. Never forget that football is a collective sport… although individualities can always make a difference. (1) A person’s ability to get ahead and be successful despite being in an inappropriate environment for personal development, and despite difficult circumstances and / or adversities that arise. “I think it was after the game against England that everyone looked at each other and said, ‘There’s no way we’re going to lose anymore.’ Because everyone was talking about England, England. Until the game against England we had not had a renowned opponent, so everyone said: “I want to see the game against England, now we are going to see if Brazil is good or not.” After beating England no one commented any more. But everyone felt it when we looked at each other. I think the group was confident before that, but they came to understand it well after that game. Everyone noticed ”. This quote indicates the maximum degree of confidence to which they reached after that match. In the championships, the teams are curdling, assembling, the difficult moments overcome strengthen the group and there comes a time when they reach the desired point. They also showed mental strength to deal with comments outside the group.
MOTIVATION:
“I hope that Brazil is the champion, that we return home with the Cup. With Barcelona I want to win as many titles as possible. You have to win the Champions League because it is a title that I lack ”. After all that has been achieved, he is still hungry for glory, maintains a high level of motivation, especially achievement motivation (1), oriented towards the achievement of his goals. This is very difficult to maintain after achieving success (you have to see how France four years after winning the World Cup in their country, was eliminated in the 2002 World Cup in the first round), and an unmotivated athlete is “ dead”. On his time at Paris Saint Germain he commented at the time: “I enjoy everything. I like new things. I left Brazil ready to meet, to grow as a player and as a man. When I left Brazil I knew it was going to change. I wanted to learn about everything, I wanted to know everything. So every day that passes I learn something new, I know something new ”. It is open, flexible, adaptable and willing to learn. An athlete who believes that he already knows everything simply loses motivation, because there are no new challenges, he has already done everything. (1) Motivation and energy directed towards a specific goal, focusing the person on doing things in the best possible way. Paulo Andrade (ESPN, Perfiles) asks him: “Was the absence of your father in your life, in a way, a greater incentive to get where you are now?” And he responds: “Without a doubt. His absence makes me sad, but it also gives me strength because when I was seven my father said: “He is going to play for the National Team. He is going to be a great player ”. And like it or not, everyone told me: “Your father said …” So every time I go to do something that is not right, I think: “My father would not like me to do this.” So his absence motivates me to try harder every day, so that wherever he is, he feels proud of the son he left in the world ”. The death of the father has given him an impressive intrinsic (internal) motivation, truly “bulletproof”. Every day he motivates himself with clear and precise goals, and visualizing his future. Your goals and desires in life and in your sport are clear, which is a sure formula for success.
TECHNIQUE:
Talent definitely comes from the factory, his father was a footballer, and his brother was a star of the Guild. That talent comes from home, it is born. Soccer ran through the veins of his family instead of blood. The following quote confirms it: “Like many Brazilians, I was born and raised with a ball, until I became a professional at 17 years old. Afterwards, everything has come naturally. My whole life revolves around soccer. I live for him. Like, I breathe, I sleep for him. I suffer and work for him. Give me a ball and I will become the happiest of men. In games that becomes pure joy, a magical moment in which the world becomes fantasy. ” He has fantastic technique with the ball (although his detractors may say that he does not head or score, but he is above that, as he supplements it with other characteristics that others do not have). He is a juggler and ball artist. But this is not only nature, they are years of serious and disciplined work. It is known that for an athlete’s full talent to emerge, it takes at least ten years of consistent and consistent training. Needless to say, it meets the requirement. Keep practicing new tricks with the ball. What he likes the most is staying extra time to train free throws (there is a spectacular video of him where he comes out dominating the ball from outside the area and throws it against the crossbar of the goal up to three times and continues to dominate it). For the technique to unfold to its maximum potential, the mind must be well trained, and this is well known by the five-time world champion. That is why Brazil took five psychologists to the 2002 World Cup and was champion, not only is it “ nice jogo ”. “Since I was little I liked football. My family always encouraged me. At the age of seven my father took me to play in the Guild. I was playing for the Guild from the age of seven to twenty-one. My whole family liked soccer. My mother’s brothers played, my father also played. My brother turned professional and was a great player. And it was my turn ”. Ronaldinho was trained in the Guild. In this regard, he mentions the following: “It was a period that I will never forget. I think he spent more time at the Guild than at my house. The friends I have there, to this day, are people I will never forget, who have helped me a lot to get to where I am. That is to say that… many of the things in my life happened in there ”. He trained all day, but for him that learning was not tedious, it was a game, it was joy and happiness. He also shows humility, solid roots, and appreciation for those who helped him. In the following quote, it is clear why this refined technique and its tendency to juggle and magic with the ball: “I always liked the players of the past more. I always saw tapes of Zico , Rivelinho , Pelé. Players similar to them. And already in my adolescence Ronaldo emerged ”. His references in football are the jugglers of the same, those who did magic with the ball and that is what he likes, introjecting the style of these greats into his repertoire, mixing them with his own, with his personal style, your brand. No one more authorized than Edson Arantes Do Nacimiento: “Pelé” to refer to this topic: “He is a ball artist”.
INTELLIGENCE:
Today it is known that there are different types of intelligence, and that all people possess them at different levels or degrees. It is considered that Ronaldinho has four of them well developed: emotional – divided into interpersonal (1) and intrapersonal (2) -, musical, spatial, and kinesthetic (the latter at levels of genius). Emotional intelligence is what he always shows, the charisma he has on and off the court, empathy, how he relates to the media, teammates and opponents. It is the intelligence that he shows not to respond to the countless fouls that they give him to try to stop him and simply smile and take it with humor, not allowing external factors to contaminate his current of energy and positive vibes. Musical intelligence is also highly developed. His taste and sensitivity for music is a clear example of this (he is an excellent dancer and uses it on and off the court). In this regard, he comments: “Music is my second passion. I think that if I were not a player … I cannot imagine being anything other than a player. I like music, all kinds of music, but samba is the one I like the most. So I think I would dedicate myself to music ”. Spatial intelligence is what allows you to strategically position yourself on the playing field. It is the same one that also allows you to know the location of your teammates and opponents and the one that allows you to put the best passes in thousandths of a second, showing great precision in them. “Ronaldinho possesses the art of good passing, he does much more than dribbling ” (Michel Platini ). The fourth intelligence, and the one that interests us the most, is kinesthetic, since it is the one that allows you to do wonders with the ball and your body. He comes from a cheerful, expressive and bodily culture like the Brazilian, he loves zamba music, like all Brazilians. It presents a spectacular kinesthetic intelligence for dance, for sport. The handling of his body is really impressive, the balance, balance, flexibility, etc., it is something really out of this world. It is no coincidence that athletes are good dancers, it is precisely because the same intelligence is needed for dance as for sport (as Mohammed Ali used to say : dance like a butterfly and sting like a wasp). Actually his bodily intelligence is clearly on the levels of genius. (1) It is what allows other people to understand. (2) It is understood that permits if the same. Dutch Johan Cruyff , Ballon d’Or (1971, 1973 and 1974), former player of FC Barcelona and the Dutch national team, and former coach of FC Barcelona: “Ronaldinho plays in an outstanding way because he plays for ‘Barça’, because he doesn’t have He has to defend, and his team plays attack, and he touches a lot of balls. He plays well when ‘Barça’ does it, and reciprocally. He deserves his Ballon d’Or. He gives a show and everyone enjoys his actions (…) He is expected to mark an entire era ”.
CREATIVITY:
“My game is based on improvisation. A striker can’t stop improvising. My goal is to unbalance my opponent. For that there is no better way than to invent and that is why I am always looking for new breaks. I strive to try tricks. I still have many things to learn to surprise the contrary ”. The creativity it shows is impressive, flexibility of thought, divergent thinking to find infinite solutions to the same problem and make decisions in a fraction of seconds. This creativity is innate, but he is not satisfied with that, he continues to seek to improve, training, exploring new possibilities that in his mind are endless. Actually, an element like this in modern football does a lot of good to it, which for a long time was based more on physical abilities and their work, which despite being very important (Ronaldinho has them), you should never stop hand creativity, improvisation capacity and art that should characterize the sport. Frank Rijkaard, former midfielder for Milan and the Dutch national team and current Barcelona coach, comments on this: “When you have a player like this at your disposal, you have to give him total freedom on the field. I do not give you any instructions. He is free to position himself to the left, in the center, or to the right. Since the beginning of the season, Ronnie has never disappointed me. I knew it would be effective in front of goal. But his ease in finding solutions for his teammates never ceases to amaze me game after game ”. Clearly, his current coach leaves him free to let creativity flow with ease and freedom, he does not pressure him and trusts him. Michel Platini , Ballon d’Or (1983, 1984 and 1985): “Ronaldinho makes football more beautiful and artistic. Makes everyone happy. It is the representation of football that I like. With him, football is an art, in addition, it is not only brilliant individually but it is altruistic ”.
JOY AND FUN:
The joy that Ronaldinho reflects is truly impressive, the ability he transmits to maintain an influx of positive energy, which not only remains with him but also transmits it to his own and strangers. He maintains a great contagious joy , which invades everyone, the public, fans, journalists, teammates, opponents, etc. This is something that has captivated locals and strangers, beyond their technique, the joy they say has returned to soccer is related to the joy that it produces, it is a reciprocal relationship: soccer produces joy, then it gives joy to the football. He enjoys his job, because professional football, precisely when it becomes professional, loses its “hobby” character. Every kick is a compliment to him. While others might get upset and react violently. This does not mean that he is a “fool”, innocent or does not know how to take care of himself on the field, because if not a talent like his would have already been annihilated on the field. Talent and develops a survival instinct in the field, because only they can stop technically or legally, they will, or try to do, many times, are unfair. Ronaldinho (on the Brazilian team): “We go out to have fun, we are not afraid of losing” (2005, Fox). This quote gives extremely valuable information. He emphatically highlights the importance of fun and not just anyone but a player of the five-time champion in the world says it, who is also the best soccer player today. Another very valuable point is that he is not afraid of losing, that is not in his head, he thinks of having fun therefore in winning. He who is afraid of losing cannot concentrate on winning because he is focusing on avoiding losing. It seems contradictory but the athlete cannot focus on two things at the same time, cannot concentrate on not losing and winning at the same time (it is not the same), or he can focus on not losing or winning. The victory comes as a result of fun and what better example than Ronaldinho. Does anyone think that he can win without having fun? We do not believe it. in He cannot stop smiling and that is contagious , sadness is contagious as well as joy. You can’t be upset with someone who smiles at you like that. The joy that football brings him is very clear in his own words: “Give me a ball and I will become the happiest of men. In games that becomes pure joy, a magical moment in which the world becomes fantasy. ” The flow of positive energy and joy, as well as the laughter it shows, produce a relaxation reaction (relaxation is not synonymous with not caring) throughout your body, which is a suitable “breeding ground” for all your talent to flow. within the field. So the smile, laughter, and joy you display is one of your best-kept secrets for fighting stress, anxiety, and getting your talent and creativity flowing. Diego Armando Maradona: “Play at a level above the rest.”
DREAMER:
“I always imagined that I was a world champion. Since childhood. When they told me: “Do you dream of playing in the World Cup?”, I answered: “I dream of playing in the World Cup and being a world champion.” So I already realized one of my dreams and now we have to keep fighting to win once, twice more ”. That ability to dream is extremely important in sports. To achieve something you must first dream it, everything begins with a dream. Ronaldinho, when dreaming, visualized. We are sure that his capacity to dream is great, otherwise he would not have achieved the successes achieved and we are convinced that he will achieve many more. Visualization is the ability to see one’s own performance in mental images, which generates a reaction in the brain and central nervous system. When they are well done, the brain is unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy, so it really happens for the brain. It is a very powerful tool to improve technique, confidence, mental strength and create winning records in the mind, to later be able to translate them into better sports performances, and therefore, in more successes. So Ronaldinho having such an ability to dream, he was definitely visualizing very vividly and therefore achieving the best results.
“I have dreams every day. Every day I have a different dream. Every day that passes I have a dream to pursue, to fulfill. Long time to play. I dream of conquering many things, making many dreams come true ”.
PHYSICAL TRAINING:
There is not much left of the skinny and lanky player from his early days. Now he has an impressive physique, which allows him to prevent injuries, not only due to physical work but also by taking care of food and the recovery of his body. In this way, he gets the most out of his technical skills, working on strength, power, endurance and speed. He does not get into trouble, scandals involving him are not known , he takes good care of his private life, therefore, he takes care not to get into trouble or be in inappropriate places.
ETHICS:
Ronadlinho is a role model on and off the field. Nowadays, when ethics and morals are so undervalued in many social and work areas, sport is no exception. We consider that all the stages of morality, proposed by Kolhberg , are developing less and less . Referees bought, fixed matches, incentives and others for the interests of businessmen, companies, sponsors, leaders, etc. In this global context, an excellent model appears not only for sports and, specifically, football, but in general. He really is one of those idols that all parents should want their children to admire, because he is an example of behavior, unlike other athletes. He is a gentleman, never looking for devious, disloyal and / or ill-intentioned foul. This definitely has to do with his family, the education they have given him in values, it is important to emphasize that, contrary to what many think, a good education in values can be provided coming from a low socio-economic level and rather many times families of high socio-economic levels precisely provide a poor moral education despite material wealth. “Everybody said to me:” Your father said … “So every time I go to do something that is not right I think:” My father would not like me to do this. ” So his absence motivates me to try harder every day, so that wherever he is, he feels proud of the son he left in the world ”. He has internalized his father, he is not physically, but he is in his heart and head, he tries to do things as well as possible and in the most correct way as possible, in order to honor the memory of his father in each of his Actions.
MODESTY:
“Right now I think of my teammates. This Ballon d’Or belongs to all of them, both from Barcelona and the Brazilian team. Soccer is like that, they give it to a player, but they have all won it. I also thank the fans of Barça and the national team. I am proud to defend these two teams. I dedicate it to all of them ”. Show humility. Sense of the community of the sport he practices, so he does not feel more important than others and recognizes that for him to stand out he needs his teammates. This is a great example for soccer fans and especially for athletes with very inflated egos or parents who believe that their child is a figure. Ronaldinho highlights the importance of his teammates to achieve the team’s goals and precisely the latter give him the opportunity to make himself look good. This is something that was already mentioned by Maradona in his book (Yo soy el Diego, 2004), where he mentions that he was able to do what he did in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico (world champion and best player) thanks to his teammates. The humility that Ronaldinho shows at the pinnacle of success is an example for all. Ronaldinho is grateful for life. In this regard, he says the following: “I would have to thank many people. To many, many people who helped me a lot. My family, who always gave me strength. To God especially, for giving us health, me and my family. Without health I would not have been able to do anything. I have to get down on my knees and be thankful every day for my health. If the family is well, I only need Him to give me health to be able to exercise the gift that He gave me and that I thank Him every day ”.
RESILIENCE:
Randall Alvarez (ESPN, Perfiles) tells the following: “How important it is to have a motivation in life… For Ronaldinho it has been the memory of his father Joao. During the World Cup, he was heard singing a samba at all times that speaks of a child who loses his father and has as a mission in life to transform each personal achievement into a tribute to that memory … I am sure that many await Ronaldinho more triumphs… “What R. Álvarez tells us clearly indicates Ronaldinho’s level of resilience to get ahead, totally identifying himself with a song that seems to tell his story and that gives him incredible strength to continue fighting more and more. The resilience is the ability of the individual to survive and not get ahead in favorable media by their personal characteristics, in spite of having everything against them . In a sport as tough as football (it must be one of the most demanding in every sense, many are left behind) you have to be and above all be the best, coming from a poor background and having lost his father at an early age. Ronaldinho’s case really is worthy of admiration.
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