One of the best players of his generation, if not of all time, was Ronaldinho. One of the most innately talented athletes to ever grace the sacred field is the Brazilian legend. As a result, the former Barcelona star’s colleagues, both current and former, gladly embrace whatever praise he gives them.
Throughout his lengthy and illustrious career, Ronaldinho represented teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and AC Milan, solidifying his reputation as a pioneer in the European game. Due to his incredible skill and technical ability, he captured the interest of a whole generation of South American players who wanted to compete at the greatest level in Europe.
When he defeated the English team of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or trophy in 2005, the amazing playmaker reached the highest level of the sport. Ronaldinho won the title of best in the business for a full year thanks to his efforts in Barcelona’s blue and red stripes and Brazil’s yellow and blue.
Frank Lampard was wanted by Ronaldinho at Barcelona.
“I suggested that we (Barcelona) sign Frank Rijkaard.”
Like Ronaldinho, Lampard was at the height of his abilities in the 2000s. The Chelsea legend was leading the west London team’s ascent to the top of the European league and consistently scoring double figures.
The man who just beat him to the top of the 2005 Ballon d’Or standings was eager to connect with the Englishman at the club level, demonstrating that other athletes were aware of his contributions. Ronaldinho noted that Lampard attempted to persuade Barcelona to bring him to Camp Nou and included him in his “Dream” Champions League XI:
Frank Rijkaard refused to leave Chelsea when I suggested that we (Barcelona) sign him.
He was one of the greatest in Europe at the time, so I’m sure they wouldn’t have let him go. What truly impressed me was his midfield goal total.
The Brazilian legend was once cited by Sky Sports as saying: “He’s a great player, and he has shown that at Chelsea.” This isn’t the first time he’s praised his peer. As with any outstanding player, it goes without saying that I would like to have him at Barcelona.
The manager of Barcelona at the time, Frank Rijkaard, agreed with that sentiment. The Dutchman stated:
“Everyone would agree that what Ronaldinho says makes logic, but I won’t get into that personally. However, it is merely a comment regarding a talented player such as Lampard.
“I don’t want to enter into details because tomorrow we will have it all over the papers that we are working on Lampard, and that is not true.”
‘From a Different Planet’: Ronaldinho, Lampard
The two felt the same way about one other.
The England international had a great deal of respect for Barcelona and their star player, even if Ronaldinho acknowledged it would have been very impossible to entice Lampard away from Stamford Bridge.
The former Chelsea hero waxed poetic about Ronaldinho, whom he met numerous times in the Champions League, after hanging up his boots in 2017. Lampard told the Chelsea matchday program that the attack-minded superstar was “from a different planet” (via GOAL):
“After Messi’s breakthrough, the [Barcelona] team was seen as the superior one, but Ronaldinho was capable of doing unthinkable things with the ball.
“That was a player I had never seen before. I thought, “Wow, this player is from a different planet than the rest of us,” when I watched him play during my early knockings in the Champions League.
