The highly anticipated match of the day features Raja Casablanca facing Atletico Mineiro in the Club World Cup semi-final. The spotlight is on Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho, who continues to showcase his technical brilliance. Despite being injured three months ago, Ronaldinho has recovered and is eager to contribute to Atletico Mineiro’s success in the tournament.
Having won the Copa Libertadores with Atletico Mineiro last year, Ronaldinho aims to add another trophy to his illustrious career. The prospect of facing Pep Guardiola, his former coach at FC Barcelona, excites him, as he sees similarities in the style of play: “I’m not a great football analyst, but from what little I’ve seen, Guardiola is indeed trying to reproduce this one-touch game, with lots of triangles in short spaces to be able to maintain possession of the ball. Bayern are starting to play like this. It means that the team has assimilated the football he loves.”
Despite his injury setback, Ronaldinho is focused on maintaining his level of performance and staying prepared for potential opportunities, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Repositioned in midfield since joining Atletico Mineiro, he expresses his joy for playing in a role he loves: “I love the point guard position. That’s how I started. For me, it comes down to combining business with pleasure. It was simple and straightforward.”
Ronaldinho’s ultimate goal is to be ready for the World Cup, stating, “My job is to maintain myself at the level I was at before my injury. For that, I have to be physically well and try to maintain the high level I had before I got injured.”
