Ronaldinho's legendary hip shake when he scored against Chelsea in 2006

Trapped in prison for two years after hanging up his boots, Ronaldinho still knows how to bring joy and shine like his peak years.

On his debut in the "Prisoner" team shirt, Ronaldinho scored five goals and provided six assists for the "home team". Under the deep blue sky in Asuncion Paraguay, his smile awakens many memories of an outstanding talent. Although time has changed constantly, that smile is still the same as the day he moved from Madrid to London.

Stamford Bridge on 8/3/2005, in the middle of the circle of green shirt that sealed Petr Cech's goal, with a light butt shake that made Ricardo Carvalho also have to dance, suddenly Ronaldinho shot a shot without momentum. put the ball straight into the dangerous corner. Cech froze because he could not understand what happened, while the football world witnessed one of the masterpieces of improvisation and creativity, breaking all the defensive principles of world football. After the Garrincha to Rivelino of the past, Ronaldinho is the best representative of the romantic school that Brazilian football has ever introduced. He has all the qualities to create the legendary Samba identity.

"When you have the ball in your feet, you are liberated", Ronaldinho once said about the principle of beauty in the style of play that he pursues, because if he does not untie ideologically, it is very difficult for an artist to be creative. create masterpieces.

The aspect reflects the bohemian nature of a traditional "Malandro", the Brazilian folk figure of a character who spends his days on the sidewalks of the slums with a variety of skills. It is in that dark place that has forged unique football skills for a "Malandro" that you only see in Brazilian players, who set the standard of football for the whole world, capital. turning the pitch into an art stage when giving birth to great techniques such as Flip Flap (Rivelino), upside down bicycle (Leonidas), free kick of falling yellow leaves (Didi)...

Ronaldinho is no exception, when his "glam at vegetables, pick up meat" technique becomes a nightmare for defenders. Thanks to that openness of thought, he saw things that other people couldn't. The goal against Chelsea was an example, because if it were another player, they would probably choose to pass it back, but Ronnie did the most unexpected thing - shot the ball through the green defensive "wall".

Brazil has no shortage of pitchers, why is Ronaldinho in such a unique position? If you wonder, take a look at the comparison between him and Denilson - a talent that was once evaluated as outstanding only after Ronaldo, the player who made Real Betis break the world transfer record in 1998. Denilson also possesses the skill. His technique is superhuman, but the problem is that he doesn't know how to rationalize his technique when changing environments, because European defenders are superior in cunning and alertness compared to Brazil.

From the beauty in his hometown, Denilson fell into cumbersome, deadlocked when playing in La Liga. Ronaldinho is different. He knows when to fake, when to pass the ball, it all comes right. Therefore, the football he performed not only ensured excitement for the audience, but also always met the requirements of the coach's tactical discipline. And the adventure in Catalanonia has saved the most heroic memories of a football legend.

"He changed our history", when a monument like Xavi said it was enough for you to imagine how big Ronaldinho is in Catalonia. If the Lionel Messi era brought Barca to the top, then the Brazilian legend was the one who laid the foundation for that success. England, a contract that not many culés think will be so successful, single-handedly helped the Nou Camp team reposition their position after a period of serious crisis.

"Thanks to Beckham, everyone wants to follow us," said a Real Madrid director confidently when he recruited David Beckham in the summer of 2003. The handsome English midfielder was the reason Real Madrid refused to buy Ronaldinho from PSG. , because they think he is not flashy enough like Beckham. And that decision of Real became a gift from God for Barca fans.

Before Ronaldinho appeared, this club was in the dark with a crisis at the macro level. The departure of Luis Figo caused Barca to lose direction in decisions that were heavily influenced by the Galacticos policy that rivals Real applied in the early 2000s. They threw money to recruit stars, but the problem was the talent. That ability is completely unsuitable for Nou Camp. From Marc Overmars to Fabio Rochemback, from Geovani to Roman Riquelme, Saviola, all failed in their mission to revive Barca.

At the end of the 2002-2003 season, when Real won La Liga, Barca only finished sixth - a position considered an insult to the famous name of the club. The turning point came in the summer of 2003 when early elections brought Joan Laporta, a young lawyer, into the chair of the club's president, along with right-hand man Sandro Rosell. Together, they have brought Barca back to a position of power thanks to wise decisions, of which Ronaldinho is the most typical name.

Receiving the number 10 shirt and positioned as the trump card of the Nou Camp, Ronaldinho glowed under the guidance of Frank Rijkaard, the most inspirational coach of Ronnie's career. With Deco, Samuel Eto'o, Ludovic Giuly and the excellent La Masia products, Barca returned to the place they deserved, which culminated in the magical evening of November 19, 2005 at the Bernabeu. There, Ronaldinho had two solo goals so beautiful that he melted even the hundred-year hatred between Barca and Real. The crowd of Real home fans that day had to stand up and applaud - which has only appeared twice in the history of El Clasico, which is full of rivalries.

The football that Ronaldinho performed not only entered people's hearts because of his beauty, but his level also seemed to save Barca's soul, which was tormented in the dark. The goals, assists and smiles of the Brazilian legend are symbols of the renaissance of the Nou Camp.

But the biggest legacy Ronaldinho left for Barca is not just the Cups. He also became the bridge for the great era of Lionel Messi.

In 2008, after coming to power, Pep Guardiola's first task was to clean up the dressing room and get rid of a few names that were considered "nostalgic" such as Deco, Ronaldinho. One of the reasons for that action was "to protect Messi from catching Ronaldinho's bad habits off the pitch". Until now, Guardiola's decision is still a thing often mentioned when talking about the relationship between the two most talented 10s in Barca history, but it is an injustice to the Brazilian player.

If history is to be considered fairly, Barca must be divided from the beginning of the 21st century into two periods: before and after the 2006 Champions League championship. What few people notice in this period is when Messi was just starting to become the first team of Barca. 2004. If Messi's talent is obvious, what Ronaldinho created is the perfect football environment for his juniors to vent. Those who closely follow Messi's ascent will not forget the harmony that Ronaldinho and Deco, Eto'o brought to Messi, will not forget the protection of the Brazilian player with his juniors, will not forget the goal. The first in Messi's peak career came from Ronaldinho's assist.

If you put Messi in the chaotic context of 2001, with Geovani, Rochemback... no one is sure that Messi's internal strength can be fully promoted in the face of such professional and spiritual decay. Javier Saviola - another prodigy of Argentine football, emerged half a decade before Messi, sunk in the dark night of crisis at the Nou Camp, after being recruited by Barca from River Plate in the summer of 2001, as a champion. U20 World Cup opponent.

Guided by ideological freedom, Ronaldinho's decline after all-night fun is not too surprising. It's still something that's still been told as much as the story of a genuine "Malandro", which is the flip side of improvisation on the pitch. The day Ronaldinho left Barca, that smile was recorded in history as the premise of great days, who performed the most artistic football at the Nou Camp. And if there is a best ending about him, it must be the comment of the legendary Tostao that: "That talent has a genuine Brazilian temperament, but most of all, he creates a smile for you".