Ronaldinho Says He’s Going to the Olympics, With or Without Permission
Ronaldinho says he’s going to the Olympics, Barcelona be damned.
All right, that’s a paraphrase. What he actually said was this:
“I feel very positive and I am not thinking about anything that is not good,” he told a press conference. “I am imagining myself at the Games doing good, playing well and bringing back the gold medal.
“I am going to give special attention to my training and preparation. I am focussed on the work that I will carry out with Professor Paixao.
“I have great confidence that I will go the Olympics in good shape and that is a great motivation to train. I have not played for a long time and I really do miss it.
“That is why I want to work hard and be ready and I am not thinking about if someone is going to stop me or try and block me from going to Beijing.”
Ronaldinho was one of the three over-age players called up by Brazil for the Olympic squad. As we’ve discussed before, the Olympics are mainly a U-23 competition, with each team allowed three over-age players. FIFA clarified today that clubs are required to release all U-23 players, but they’ve never been required to release the over-age players, although FIFA is strongly encouraging that they do so.
Ronaldinho is 28, and Barcelona has already said no.
But on the other hand, they’ve also apparently said that he’s going to be allowed to leave the club, where he was AWOL with a phantom “injury” for most of the end of last season.
Barcelona is already in turmoil, what with all the stuff going on with their board and management. It will be interesting to see if this is a battle they’re going to want to put energy into fighting.
(My opinion? If it will get him out of the doldrums and out of these clothes, then by all means let the man go. It’s not like he’s going to do Barcelona any good the way he is anyway.)
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Comments
By Ronald | July 10th, 2008 at 5:55 pm 
i hope he does play and i do hope he’s telling the truth about trying to get back in better shape…..i miss the old Ronaldinho, the one that played for PSG and Barcelona ( early years ).
By soccer dud | July 10th, 2008 at 11:55 pm HE IS BACK!
It seems that his passion is growing back and he wants to start winning again…I hope he ends up in a good team soon and shine again to be honest with you I am getting really tired of all the attention Cristiano Ronaldo is getting.
Posted from 
United States
By Nolan | July 11th, 2008 at 5:21 am He has said this before…I’ll believe it when I see it, all I know is the sooner Barcelona get rid of him the better.
Posted from United States
By Rob | July 12th, 2008 at 1:51 pm Good for him. Barca are being stupid considerin gthey don’t actually want him anymore.
By Dawlish | July 18th, 2008 at 9:10 am Dinho has always wanted to play… It is shame he is being savaged for Barcelona screw ups..
I have no respect for a team like Barcelona who use the newspapers in Spain to sally the reputation of a player who brought Barcelona so much money and glory.. Shame on Barcelona they are a bunch of small minded, petty crooks bent on revanche..
He is at Milan now and i am cancelling my subscription to Barca matches.. Feel sorry for Lionel Messi and Yaya Toure… the way Barcelona treated Dinho, Deco and Frank Rijkaard… they will not stop at nothing in the gutter to shame and humiliate their own player as soon as the results do not go Barca’s away
Posted from 
Canada
By chapu | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm At first Frank Rijkaard left out Dinho out of his team thinking that he could have made it withouht him, but you see it came right back to him since withouth the Star Dinho he fail to capitalize on the champions and the LA Liga. Well he was kicked out also. (Frank you should had apreciatted Dinho better than that after all he did for Barsa in his glory) My team will be Milan as from now, goodbye to La Liga. One fan less.
I wish barsa will pay for this. The best for dinho all the way.
Posted from 
Belize
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