Anger, irony in Brazil over Ronaldinho's "auction" (News Feature)

By Diana Renee Jan 7, 2011, 17:46 GMT

Rio de Janeiro - Uncertainty surrounding the future of Brazilian football star Ronaldinho was met Friday with anger and irony in Brazil.

'Sportsman voted several times as the best in the world. This is an auction, the highest bidder wins. We will not take payment in the form of barbecues. The winning club must allow the footballer to play only when he wants to. In case of a draw, clubs in coastal cities or cities with a good nightlife will win,' says an offer posted on the website mercadolivre.com.br.

The website, one of the most popular in Brazil for internet shopping and auctions, only reflected the broader mood in the country over the way Ronaldinho's brother and agent Roberto de Assis is handling the striker's exit from AC Milan and his likely move to an as yet unspecified Brazilian club.

Mercadolivre.com.br takes bids from around 595,000 dollars. But it warns that, even after the auction is over, the seller reserves the right to pick someone other than the highest bidder.

The presumably fake internet auction reflects anger in Brazil over the press conference that Ronaldinho, Assis and Milan representative Adriano Galliani staged Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.

Galliani said AC Milan wanted to grant the player's request to play 'outside Italy,' which according to Assis would allow him to play elsewhere in Europe. However, Ronaldinho, 30, made it clear that he wanted to return to Brazil after almost 10 years in Europe.

Assis admitted talks with Brazilian clubs Gremio, Flamengo and Palmeiras and said he had not 'yet' spoken to Corinthians officials although they expressed a wish to sign the talented striker. Although he said he was 'in no way' auctioning off his brother's play, Assis noted that a final decision would be made 'Tuesday or Wednesday.'

In order to have the star player, Assis stressed, the club in question will need to come to an agreement with AC Milan. Ronaldinho remains under contract to the Italian club until June.

Ronaldinho, FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and the winner of the 2005 Ballon d'Or, said only that he wanted to return to his native country to get 'wins and titles' and to boost his chances of playing for Brazil at home in the 2014 World Cup.

No one has so far managed to get Ronaldinho to make a statement in favour of any of the Brazilian clubs that are so far keen to have him. Not even in favour of Gremio, the club through whose youth ranks he rose in his native Porto Alegre and whose fans he already upset in 2001, when he left for Paris Saint-Germain.

Brazilian media were angry about the situation.

'The soap opera is not over yet,' the daily O Globo said in a headline Friday.

Commentator Cosme Rimoli, of the R7 website, criticized the 'ridiculous press conference.' In the meantime, he noted, Brazilian football dreams of the return of a superstar and the end of the 'auction' launched by his agent and by AC Milan.

'Poor Brazilian football is on its needs for him. Waiting to be trod over by his brother/agent/auctioneer. We are all clowns at his disposal,' Rimoli complained.

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