Following a captivating and jaw-dropping display of skills and great technique the entire Santiago Bernabeu rises to award the man of the moment and the match’s best performer with a standing ovation.
The player in question is not a Real Madrid player, but rather a star who wears the shirt of fierce rival Barcelona. His name is Ronaldinho and the year is 2005. He is the only player, besides Maradona, to receive such a standing ovation from opposition fans on Santiago Bernabeu. Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero was also on the receiving end of a standing ovation from the crowd and that in the Champions League many years ago.
After the match, the Brazilian star was deeply moved: “I will never forget this because it is very rare for any footballer to be applauded in this way by the opposition fans.”
After that Barcelona and Ronaldinho went on to win two league titles in a row (2005/06 and 2006/07) in addition to a list of individual awards for the talented Brazilian. The next season was troublesome for the Brazilian and injuries prevented him showing his magic on the football pitch.
This is where the downfall of Ronaldinho started, after 5 years with Barcelona he went to join AC Milan and it all went downhill for him. The Brazilian magician could never again find his touch and was plagued by injuries and poor form.
For more information on the Brazilian legend, check out the wonderful piece by our friends at insidesport.com who did great work with what happened to Ronaldinho. Make sure to check it out, you will not regret it.
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