How are Milan going to explain the signing of American defender Oguchi Onyewu? Well, here’s one guess…

David Beckham is one for springing surprises on people. His 1997/98 opener lob from the halfway line. His garish sarong. His infamous 1998 World Cup exit. His move to LA Galaxy.

He surprised many by maintaining his ambition to play for England by maneuvering a Loan deal to Milan. He also sprang a further surprise by playing considerably well for the Rossoneri.

Now the cherry on the cake has well and truly arrived. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Wonder what Rafa thinks now? [Studs Up]

Manchester City’s new saviour [The Spoiler]

Football’s best attempt to make you hate it [SoccerLens]

Someone is angry at Kaka [Dirty Tackle]

Robinho has been a pretty pretty good signing for Mark Hughes since arriving at Eastlands in September. Despite City’s patchy form, especially on the road, the former Real Madrid man hasn’t failed to impress after scoring nine goals in all competitions. Now it appears his friend is warming to the idea of rainy Manchester. [Read the rest of this entry »]

You do have to wonder if ADUG just did an internet search for ‘world’s best player’ after buying Manchester City. After all, the results generally consist of two players, both of whom have been linked with a move to Eastlands in the near future. While the Premier League outfit might now be immensely rich, they may have to lower their sights a touch and go for some other world-class talents instead. [Read the rest of this entry »]

I think we’ve established in the past week that the Abu Dhabi United Group are pretty pretty ambitious when it comes to their investment in Manchester City. They may have splashed out £32.5 million on Robinho, yet there are undoubtedly more signings to follow, but will they really manage to entice this Milan maestro to their humble home? [Read the rest of this entry »]

Goodness me, this would be the signing of the summer, although the Blues are cutting it fine if they are to land arguably the best player in the world. Money is clearly no object to Chelsea (despite The Sun’s raving yesterday that they’d lost some spare change recently), although persuading Milan to part with this midfielder has been a big old struggle. Is there light at the end of the tunnel or will the transfer window slam shut? [Read the rest of this entry »]

To say that Andriy Shevchenko’s stock has fallen over the past couple of seasons would be a huge understatement. The Ukrainian striker, who was rumoured to have been signed by Roman Abramovich rather than Jose Mourinho, has struggled to make an impact in a Chelsea shirt since arriving from Milan for £30 million. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Goodness me, football never ceases to amaze you. When you hear the words ‘Arsenal defender’ and ‘Milan’ in the same sentence, you might think Gael Clichy has betrayed the Gunners, or perhaps William Gallas is done with people questioning his captaincy of the team and wants to hook up with compatriot Flamini at the San Siro. However, it’s neither of them, nor Toure or Sagna that the Italian giants have been linked with, oh no. [Read the rest of this entry »]

If nothing else, Chelsea are relentless in their pursuit of Kaka, the Brazilian World Player of the Year. It’s clear that the Blues are desperate to land the Milan playmaker, despite being blessed with a squad which is already teeming with quality. [Read the rest of this entry »]

It’s hard being a rich and famous football club. You’ve essentially got a bottomless pit of cash to splurge on players, as well as another bucketload of moolah to pay their wages. Therefore, why won’t some of the world’s best players simply ‘do a Hleb’, sack off their current clubs and sign for Chelsea, the greatest team in the whole world ever? Loyalty you say? [Read the rest of this entry »]

You’re a footballer who has just enjoyed something of a breakthrough season at your current club. There have been plenty of goals, leading to rave reviews, while one or two big European clubs seem interested in signing you to come off the bench as a substitute for the last fifteen minutes. [Read the rest of this entry »]

505 appearances, 350 goals. That record speaks for itself. Add in the fact that this is from a man who has only just turned 31 and you realise how good he must have been.

Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima, the original Ronaldo, is often looked down upon as a man who never truly made the most of what he had, often through media pressures and bad injuries. However, examine his career in statistics, not headlines, and it tells a different story:

• All-time top scorer in World Cup Finals
• Three time World Player Of The Year
• Four World Cup tournaments, three finals, one single-handed win
• Trophies in four countries with six different clubs

When you finish that list, you begin to understand why I consider Ronaldo alongside players like Paolo Maldini for this series. Although he was caught up in a ridiculous scandal in recent months, nothing takes away from what this man has achieved.

As would happen with many South American players in the future, Ronaldo was plucked from Cruzeiro at the age of 17 to play in Europe for PSV Eindhoven. He had scored 12 goals in 13 games, and this was enough for PSV and the Brazil national team to sit up, take note and give him his chance. The $6 million PSV paid Cruzeiro would seem like a bargain as, over two seasons, Ronaldo terrorised Dutch defences with an incredible 55 goals in 57 games. He won the World Player Of The Year award for 1996, the youngest ever winner at just 19.

Barcelona, led by English manager Sir Bobby Robson, swooped for Ronaldo. He repaid them by firing 47 goals in 49 appearances, keeping up his phenomenal scoring rate of just under one every game. After winning the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup with Barca in 1996/97, he was once again named the best player in the world. Ronaldo moved on again, this time for a world record fee, to Serie A.

Inter Milan paid Barcelona £18 million for Ronaldo’s services in 1997, beating the £15 million Newcastle United paid for Alan Shearer in 1995. He continued his scoring feats, with 34 goals in 47 appearances in the 1997/98 season, culminating in winning the UEFA Cup.

Staying with Inter, he travelled to France ’98 with World champions Brazil. The world was watching. They wanted to see this talented 22-year-old tear the world apart and fire Brazil to a second-successive World Cup trophy. It all went to plan. All of it, except the final. Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit the night before and the media went into a frenzy as to why he had suffered a fit and if he would play. He was to be excluded by coach Mario Zagallo, before pleading to play. He did. But not well. He was a shadow of his former self and, not helped by a collision with France keeper Fabian Barthez, was lethargic, off-pace and nowhere near peak condition. Brazil lost 3-0 and Ronaldo began a dark period in his career.

He returned to Inter, continuing his goalscoring with 14 in 20 league appearances, but suffered a ruptured tendon in his right knee and would require surgery. He was ruled out for the 1998/99 season. On his comeback in April 2000, he suffered the same injury again. Once again he was out for the season. After two operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo returned to the Inter Milan first team. His aim was to regain his fitness in time for the 2002 World Cup. He returned and showed his class once again, scoring 7 goals in 10 league games.

Brazil went to the 2002 World Cup having only just qualifed, but Ronaldo led the team once more and scored in every round, bar the quarter-finals against England, as Brazil reached the final. Ronaldo then laid to rest the ghosts of his injuries and the 1998 Final with a solo performance to beat Germany 2-0, scoring both goals. He was named 2002 World Player of the Year. Ronaldo was back.

He joined European Champions Real Madrid’s ‘galacticos’ for £25m after the World Cup, scoring twice on his debut. He stayed at Madrid for four-and-a-half years, scoring 102 goals and endearing himself to Real’s fans. He moved on, perhaps for the final time of his career, to Ac Milan in January 2007 for around £5 million, although injuries have overshadowed his return to the San Siro.

He was cup-tied for their run to the 2007 Champions League trophy, the closest he ever got in his phenomenal career. He will go down as one of the greatest players to have never won Europe’s greatest prize, although he can console himself with his three World Player of the Year trophies and his World Cup winner’s medal.

If he is not respected for the sheer amount of trophies he was won and goals he has scored, then surely it should be for his determination to return from such a crippling injury, twice, to reach the heights he had before, World Player of the Year. Thus, he must be considered a living legend.

We’re sure that many Eastlands season-ticket holders will have been glad to see Ronaldinho and his entourage choose Milan over Manchester this week. It was clear from the start that this was a player that Thaksin Shinawatra wanted to bring in, and not necessarily the choice of Mark Hughes, who was appointed after the initial interest was declared by the City owner.

While the Daily Mail report that the Welshman sounds disappointed not to have landed the former world player of the year, surely there’s a part of him that’s relieved at not having to contend with a footballer who is rumoured to lost a good deal of motivation to play football at the highest level these days.

Hughes said: ‘I think we have shown a willingness to bring Ronaldinho here and should be complimented for that.

‘In the end though, it will be the player’s decision where he goes.’

To think, Manchester United wanted to sign Ronaldinho five seasons ago, before he opted for Barcelona. This was shortly after the Brazilian had put paid to England’s 2002 World Cup hopes with that looping effort over David Seaman. However, the smart money is on the forward to have a minimal impact at the San Siro, and the failure of Man City to land him will surely be a blessing in disguise.

And who can blame him for wanting to avoid the endless Manchester rain, abating every other Thursday if you’re lucky. [Read the rest of this entry »]