Welcome back Everyone!

After a long-long break BeLikeRonaldinho.com is finally back!

We would like to continue the awesome work and provide you with the latest Ronaldinho and Fc Barcelona news, game reviews, rumors, player news, and lots of highlights and Goals!

First of all I want to acknowledge the impressive 4-1 win Barcelona posted away to Levante, and what’s even more impressive is that the somewhat new recruit Thierry Henry, posted his first hat trick for the club. Leo Messi also posted a goal in the match with an outstanding individual effort to use his speed to get past the defender and slot the ball home. Henry’s goals were critical to Barcelona and in their pursuit of the La Liga and I particuarly loved his second goal (55 seconds in video) where he calmly slotted the ball past the keeper and into the bottom corner of the net. You can see all the match highlights below.

Football and Nightlife

I bring this topic up because when you get older and socialising becomes a much more attractive way to spend your weekend, alcohol and late nights become part of the equation. Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have a social life, go out with friends and have a good time. However, what I am saying is that being a footballer brings with it professionalism and responsibility. Responsibility towards your own body, which you need to take care of and treat with respect and that means no smoke, no alcohol and no drugs. It may seem obvious but you’d be surprised to see that many professional athletes take part in recreational drug and alcohol abuse, leaving the footballer in bad shape for the next day. He still has all the skills and talent he has built up from day one, however, their part in the team will lack and with that lack comes consequences like substitutions and even getting kicked off the team.

Ronaldinho Getting Clubbed By Media

Unfortunately, the media have been targeting Ronaldinho lately because of the nightlife he engages in, accusing him of spending too much time in the Barcelona nightclubs. What’s more is the media have also been questioning the legitimacy of the calf strain he picked up, which has cost him three games altogether. Both manager Frank Rijkaard and Club President Joan Laporta have defended the Brazillian saying:

He is suffering because he is injured, the therapy is to help him and ensure he does not feel apart. We need to be together. I have not spoken to him about his private life because it is a question for the dressing room. The players know how far they can go in their private lives.

Ronaldinho Back In The Squad

Both Ron and Marquez have been named in the squad for the upcoming UEFA Champions League game against Stuttgart and I hope that Ronnie can prove the media wrong with a spectacular performance. I feel as though having the media there hassling players does not do the game of football any good. With so much pressure some will crack and some will perform and we hope Ronaldinho will be the latter. Barca play their game on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on which part of the world you’re from and I’ll bring you my insights from that game shortly after. Until then, let me leave you with some words of advice:

Go out with your friends, have a good time. But be responsible and know where to draw the line, because sooner or later you will be in the public eye and what you do will affect kids who will lookup to you. Be the very best player you can be and it all starts with your attitude to this privilege of being a footballer.

FC Barcelona have now resumed their training as they look forward to some great pre-season games overseas. As you know, Barca will be taking on Dundee United in Scotland very soon and so Frank Rijkaard and his men have begun their preparations with confidence in winning the titles they desire. Most notably, Victor Valdez, the Barca keeper who was quoted saying:

We have the best attack that any team can have

And why shouldn’t he think that when they have the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Henry and Lionel Messi attacking the opposition goal.

Injuries Force Some To Stay In Barca 

For this trip to Scotland, Barca will have the following players out due to injury or extended holiday, in this case due to the Copa America:

• Gudjohsen (left knee injury picked up from last season)
• Puyol ( right knee ligament damage picked up from last season)
• Messi (Copa America holiday rest)
• Marquez (Copa America holiday rest)
• Milito (Copa America holiday rest)

Images from Barca Training Camp

Cesar Rangel/AFP/Getty Images

Ronaldinho and Henry enjoy training which seems to help their friendship even more, but…

Cesar Rangel/AFP/Getty Images

It can help their competitive spirit even more, and that translates on the field (Note Ronaldinho’s newer 10R boots)

Cesar Rangel/AFP/Getty Images

Finishing off the training session, the team indulge in some head juggling. Fun but effective during matches.

Ever since I my 10R football shoes got stolen, I’ve been feeling empty and that something has been missing in my footballing life, and rightfully so, I don’t have any good shoes to play with. So for the past few days I find myself clicking on my own ads because they show me some great buys for the latest 10R Tiempo Boots. When I get to the site and see the whole selection of Ronaldinho shoes, I become a kid in a candy shop. Anyways, my mind has been toiling over the idea of getting the following version of the 10R Boots

It’s Not True What They Say

Once you’ve had black you never go back, but in this case it isn’t true, I’m going for the white shoes this time around and I must say, they do look pretty. I was having a small discussion with my mother about these, because she feels it would be harder to maintain than the black ones I used to have. Which is true, because I would always be cleaning them, trying to make them shine using some leather preserver. Anyways, my eyes have also been on the Ronaldinho Air Legend shoes which are featured in the Nike Viral Video that is up on YouTube. It’s the one where Ronaldinho gets these new shoes and plays ping-pong with the cross bar from outside the box, it’s got like 15 million views or something! Whatever I choose in the end, for now I’m stuck going to training with some Dunlop Volley’s, check out what happened to them after one training session

P.S Have a great Independence Day… for the American readers

One of the most important aspects of football is the gear you decide to use. Secondary to that is how you go about taking care of your football gear. When you choose to invest in some great football boots, shin guards, socks, jerseys, shorts etc you need to be able to take care of them. Now how long your gear lasts is totally up to you and the quality of the product that you purchase. For example, as you know, my 10R Nike Tiempo boots were stolen recently, however, up and until that time I was doing my best to take care of them. Let me share with you a couple of my little secrets when I want to take care of my stuff.

Football Boots And Their Maintenance

They have to be the footballers most valuable piece of equipment and rightfully so, as many famous footballers strive to have their name etched onto the boots that Adidas and Nike produce. Ronaldinho, of course has reached such a level that he has this privilege, to have his name etched in gold into some beautiful boots; not to mention an entire clothing line. Moving on, I bought my first leather shoes back in 1998 and they were the Adidas Predators, which had these grooves on the side and all around the shoe to encourage ball spin. When I purchased these, I also picked up a tin of Dubbin leather preserver. Ever since 1998 I have used this stuff on all of my football boots, and every time I use it, my shoes look like new. Not only that, it helps to water proof them and softens the leather. I highly recommend this stuff and you can find it wherever shoes are sold.

I Can’t Carry All This Stuff By Myself

So that is why you get yourself a sports bag. I use this one by Puma to get the job done, but you can go get yourself a nice Ronaldinho sports bag is you need to, it’s a bit much to carry your stuff, but it really is something nice for the avid Ronaldinho fan. I tend to put all of my stuff into the bag and I even have room left for more stuff like my water bottle etc. I used to go to training or a match all geared up, but these days, with the changing weather and other factors I tend to carry a bag with all my gear and only put them on when I know I’m going to be playing some football. So, I also recommend you get yourself a sports bag, which will help keep you organised and everything in the one place.