Brazilian megastar Ronaldinho has rejected a move to English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers to sign for his home town team Gremio, for some mysterious reason deciding to opt for the surroundings of the beach and palm trees rather than the grimy Victorian cotton mills of freezing Blackburn.
The 1995 English champions offered to pay Ronaldinho a staggering £130,000 a week over three years.
However, Ronaldinho looks to have rejected Blackburn to join Gremio in his native Brazil.
Brazilian media outlet Radio Globo said Ronaldinho was in Rio De Janeiro to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract.
The former Barcelona star currently plays for Italian giants AC Milan, the seven time European champions, but his contract with them expires at the end of the season.
Blackburn Rovers' new owners, Indian poultry firm Venky's, led by Venkatesh Rao, said its Brazil office was in talks with Ronaldinho's manager.
Ronaldinho is probably most known in England for his winning goal for Brazil against England in the Quarter Final of the 2002 World Cup. England went 1-0 up thanks to a goal in the 23rd minute by Michael Owen, but Brazil equalised at the end of the first half. Then Ronaldinho's stunning free kick in the 50th minute from 42 yards out looked like it would never go in, but it dipped at the last minute, completely bamboozling veteran goalkeeper David Seaman. Ronaldinho was later sent off for a stamp on Danny Mills, but they went on to win the World Cup for a record 5th time, beating Germany 2-0 in the Final.
Ronaldinho set to reject Blackburn for Brazil's Gremio
BBC Sport
Wednesday 5th January 2011
Ronaldinho in action for Milan
Blackburn are set to fail with a bid to sign Ronaldinho after AC Milan revealed their Brazilian midfielder has chosen to join his home-town club Gremio.
The 30-year-old has been offered a deal worth about £20m over three years by Premier league side Blackburn.
But AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Wednesday: "Ronaldinho has made a life choice by going to Brazil."
Brazilian media outlet Radio Globo said Ronaldinho was in Rio De Janeiro to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract.
The two-time world footballer of the year's current deal with Milan expires at the end of the season and, with the Rossoneri having already signed Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria this week, there is no space for the former Barcelona star in Allegri's line-up.
Blackburn Rovers are currently 12th in the Premier League
On Tuesday, Blackburn revealed they had made a move for the playmaker and Venky's, the company that bought Rovers in 2010, said its Brazil office was in talks with Ronaldinho's manager.
"He is keen to play in the EPL [English Premier League] and I think that goes in our favour," Venky's chair Anuradha Desai told BBC Radio Lancashire.
Ronaldinho is in his native Brazil after leaving AC Milan's winter training camp in Dubai.
He moved to Milan from Barcelona in 2008 but lost his place in the starting XI after the club signed forwards Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho last summer.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
The 1995 English champions offered to pay Ronaldinho a staggering £130,000 a week over three years.
However, Ronaldinho looks to have rejected Blackburn to join Gremio in his native Brazil.
Brazilian media outlet Radio Globo said Ronaldinho was in Rio De Janeiro to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract.
The former Barcelona star currently plays for Italian giants AC Milan, the seven time European champions, but his contract with them expires at the end of the season.
Blackburn Rovers' new owners, Indian poultry firm Venky's, led by Venkatesh Rao, said its Brazil office was in talks with Ronaldinho's manager.
Ronaldinho is probably most known in England for his winning goal for Brazil against England in the Quarter Final of the 2002 World Cup. England went 1-0 up thanks to a goal in the 23rd minute by Michael Owen, but Brazil equalised at the end of the first half. Then Ronaldinho's stunning free kick in the 50th minute from 42 yards out looked like it would never go in, but it dipped at the last minute, completely bamboozling veteran goalkeeper David Seaman. Ronaldinho was later sent off for a stamp on Danny Mills, but they went on to win the World Cup for a record 5th time, beating Germany 2-0 in the Final.
Ronaldinho set to reject Blackburn for Brazil's Gremio
BBC Sport
Wednesday 5th January 2011
Ronaldinho in action for Milan
Blackburn are set to fail with a bid to sign Ronaldinho after AC Milan revealed their Brazilian midfielder has chosen to join his home-town club Gremio.
The 30-year-old has been offered a deal worth about £20m over three years by Premier league side Blackburn.
But AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Wednesday: "Ronaldinho has made a life choice by going to Brazil."
Brazilian media outlet Radio Globo said Ronaldinho was in Rio De Janeiro to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract.
The two-time world footballer of the year's current deal with Milan expires at the end of the season and, with the Rossoneri having already signed Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria this week, there is no space for the former Barcelona star in Allegri's line-up.
Blackburn Rovers are currently 12th in the Premier League
On Tuesday, Blackburn revealed they had made a move for the playmaker and Venky's, the company that bought Rovers in 2010, said its Brazil office was in talks with Ronaldinho's manager.
"He is keen to play in the EPL [English Premier League] and I think that goes in our favour," Venky's chair Anuradha Desai told BBC Radio Lancashire.
Ronaldinho is in his native Brazil after leaving AC Milan's winter training camp in Dubai.
He moved to Milan from Barcelona in 2008 but lost his place in the starting XI after the club signed forwards Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho last summer.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport
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