CHENNAI: Will he or won’t he? That is the question all football fans in India are seeking answer to. The man in question is none other than two-time World Player of the Year and former Barcelona ace Ronaldinho.
On Friday, rumours flooded the internet about the Brazilian midfielder’s possible arrival to play for the Chennai franchise in the Indian Super League. While Express understands that the idea has been discussed by Chennai officials, others went one step further. Philip Harmeling, a Germany-based football agent, even went as far as tweeting that Ronaldinho had agreed terms. “Ronaldinho snubs MLS for Indian Super League! He joined the Titans Chennai for two years with total pay of €4.6 million,” he posted on his Twitter page. His comments were picked up by a number of online media outlets, many mistaking it for confirmation of the deal.
While Chennai Titans are understood to be exploring the possibility of signing the World-Cup winner, it seems any interest is one-sided at the moment. Marcelo Sander, a FIFA-licensed football agent, who works for the Assis-Moreira football agency, which represents Ronaldinho and is run by the 34-year-old’s brother Roberto de Assis, told Express that no deal had been reached with anybody from India. “No, it is not true,” he said when asked about the Ronaldinho-to-India rumour.
In a way, it is a deal that makes a lot of sense. Ronaldinho’s career is going nowhere after he was released by Atletico Mineiro last month. He was linked with a number of clubs including Santos, Queens Park Rangers and Boca Juniors and was rumoured to be close to signing for Brazilian club Palmeiras, only for them to announce that the move had fallen through for financial reasons. A move to ISL will allow him time to negotiate a deal in Major League Soccer in the US, a path that Alessandro Del Piero is going to take.
But the talk sure has captured the imagination of fans and fellow players alike with Chennai draftee and former Manchester United star Bojan Djordjic already expressing his excitement. “My team Chennai Titans in talks with Ronaldinho. That would be a dream signing,” he tweeted. But will someone like Ronaldinho really come and play for a team in India? “If Del Piero just signed, so can Ronaldinho,” Djordjic believes. He can, but will he?