Lionel Messi has revealed Ronaldinho told him to take his No.10 shirt months before the Brazilian left Barcelona in 2008.
Ronaldinho joined Barcelona in 2003 and inherited the iconic number from Argentine midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme who was sent on loan to Villarreal for two seasons.
The Brazilian star left after six years with the club, scoring almost 100 goals in just over 200 appearances.
And Messi revealed in an interview with Barca TV that Ronaldinho already promised him the No.10 shirt months before he announced he was leaving.
Before leaving the club [Ronaldinho] was coming off a few months where he was thinking about things, Messi said.
He had it in his mind that he was leaving and he told me to have his number.
I t…
The impact of Erik ten Hag is already being felt at Manchester United, with Luke Shaw acknowledging a big improvement as he aims to atone for a poor personal campaign last season.
Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford after the departure of Ralf Rangnick, who replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last November, following another underwhelming campaign from United.
The former Ajax coach has a sizeable rebuilding job to do after United recorded their lowest points tally in a Premier League season.
United also failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference for the first time since the 1989-90 season.
Ten Hag has acted by bringing in left-back Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen, and has convincingly defeated Liverpool and Melbourne Victory in his opening…
Evan Ferguson believes Brighton and Hove Albion can go on and book a place in Europe after thumping Grimsby Town 5-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
Wembley awaits the Seagulls, who were handed a shot at Manchester United or Fulham next. United and Fulham contested the last of the quarter-finals on Sunday, after the draw was made.
Manchester City will face Sheffield United in the other last-four clash over the weekend of April 22-23.
Brighton could earn a place in next season s European competitions through the Premier League or by winning the FA Cup.
They sit seventh in the league, level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool and with a game in hand on the Reds.
I think we ve got the hope and the desire to go on and get to Europe, Ferguson said,…
A blind athlete says he is set to join the USC Trojans American football team.
Jake Olson, a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles-based Trjoans, who play in the Pac-12 conference of collegiate American football, was born with a rare cancer of the retina in both eyes.
Despite that condition, Olson tweeted on Monday: Tomorrow I walk out onto Howard Jones field [USC s practice facility] not as a fan or honorary member, but as a player for the USC Trojans! #fighton.
ESPN reported that a USC spokesperson had confirmed it was likely Olson would participate at the team s practice on Tuesday.
Olson, who was the starting long-snapper on his high-school team in Orange, California became a frequent visitor at USC practices and games as a young teen when the Tro…
Billy Gilmour and Ross Barkley are among Chelsea stars who face an uncertain first-team future after being left off the club s squad number list for the new season.
The midfield pair, full internationals for Scotland and England respectively, were joined by the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Kenedy and Michy Batshuayi in being omitted.
Gilmour, an unused substitute in the 2021 Champions League final, was loaned out to Norwich City last season. The 21-year-old s Chelsea contract was then extended in June of this year to run until the end of the 2023-24 season.
His and 28-year-old Barkley s first-team prospects at least for the near future look bleak. That was made all the more obvious when the Blues brought in teenage midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka this week, handing�…
Chelsea winger Victor Moses is closing in on a loan switch to Fenerbache, according to the Metro.
The Nigeria international has barely featured for the Blues since Maurizio Sarri became manager, with his only two Premier League appearances this term coming as a substitute.
He did feature regularly in each of the last two seasons having previously fallen out of favour – so much so that he was loaned out to both Stoke City and West Ham United.
Since signing for Chelsea from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2012, the twenty-eight-year-old has racked up one hundred and twenty-eight appearances in all competitions, scoring eighteen goals while he has winners’ medals in the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.
Internationally he has been capped thi…
Gambia secured a historic win as they beat Mauritania 1-0 in their first ever game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.
It was a tight Group F contest between two of the newer nations on the elite African football scene, with this being Gambia s first ever appearance in AFCON and only Mauritania s second after making their debut in the 2019 tournament.
The Scorpions did not have to wait long for their first AFCON goal as Bologna s Musa Barrow laid the ball off to Ablie Jallow on the edge of the penalty area in the 10th minute, and the winger fired a left-footed effort past the dive of Babacar Diop and into the far right corner.
Barrow tried an ambitious volley from long range that swerved comfortably wide as Gambia looked to add another, but Maurit…
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Looking to open 2022 with a statement on foreign soil, Argentina will make the trip to the Estadio Municipal de Calama in the early hours of Friday when they meet Chile.
Chile
Starting with the hosts, managing to sign off 2021 with a 1-0 win away at El Salvador in a friendly contest on December 12th, Chile will be desperate to keep up that momentum here. However, while La Roja might have enjoyed a much-needed purple patch between October and November, Martín Lasarte s men have publically struggled their consistency over recent times. Last seen on qualifying duties getting hit with a 2-0 defeat at home against Ecuador, the Reds are in another battle to book their spot at this year s World Cup finals. Opening their return to action at t…
Arsenal Women have confirmed the signing of United States star Tobin Heath on a free transfer.
Heath, who spent last season at Manchester United, has won the World Cup twice and also has Olympic gold medals.
The 33-year-old, who has scored 31 international goals, was named in the FIFPro Women s World 11 in 2020 and won the US Soccer Female Athlete of the Year in 2016.
Prior to her move to United in 2020, Heath had spent seven years with the Portland Thorns and had a spell with Paris Saint-Germain.
Tobin s record speaks for itself. She s an incredibly talented player who will bring so much experience to our squad, said Arsenal s head coach Jonas Eidevall.
This is an exciting time for the club, and I m delighted we could secure Tobin s signi…
Roma s Nicolo Zaniolo remains relaxed about his contract situation and has refuted claims he came close to leaving the Giallorossi in the transfer window.
Zaniolo helped Roma end a 14-year trophy drought in May, scoring the winning goal as Jose Mourinho s men beat Feyenoord to win the inaugural Europa Conference League.
The attacker s contract in the Italian capital does not expire until 2024, but he was strongly linked with an exit during the recent transfer window.
Juventus were considered the most likely suitors for the 23-year-old, who has nine senior caps for Italy, but he insists a transfer was never likely.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Roma s Europa League clash with HJK, Zaniolo said: It was not a unique summer for me. It always seems th…