Key Takeaways
- Ronaldinho was once bailed out of prison by former teammate Lionel Messi.
- Ronaldinho was arrested for using a fake passport.
- It is claimed that Messi paid £1.3 million to bail his friend out of jail.
The legend of Ronaldinho is one that goes greater than just football. The Brazilian icon brought a level of flair and excitement to the game that very few could and was one of the most elegant players to step onto the football pitch. While for several years there were very few that could hold a torch to him in his prime, there was soon to be one player coming through the academy at Barcelona who was about to surpass him.
Lionel Messi‘s emergence was effectively the beginning of the end of the Samba specialist’s time at the Nou Camp. However, the pair maintained a strong relationship on and off the pitch, with Ronaldinho assisting a then-teenage Messi’s first-ever goal for the club. Even in his retirement, the 44-year-old’s close bond with the Argentine paid dividends when he was at the lowest point of his life.
Why Messi Bailed Ronaldinho Out of Prison
The Brazilian was arrested in 2020
While Ronaldinho was known for his party lifestyle and smiley persona, he found himself involved in something much more sinister four years ago. It was announced in March 2020 that the former Ballon d’Or winner had been arrested in Paraguay after allegedly using a fake passport to enter the country.
The forward was detained and eventually sent to prison for a month, before being placed on house arrest until August of that year. It was alleged that the reason that he was allowed out of jail was that his former teammate posted his bail worth £1.3 million, though Messi himself shot down those claims, calling it ‘fake news.’
However, this may have just been a PR decision, as Ronaldinho has backed up those claims and confirmed that it was Messi who had helped him out. He even went one step further, revealing what the Argentinian did afterwards to help support his friend during what was one of the toughest periods of his life:
“When Messi bailed me out of prison, I was in a rough spot, completely broke. I went to visit him to show my gratitude, and he gave me a signed Barcelona shirt, with signatures from him and some of the other players.
“He told me, ‘You can sell it. I contacted the website [Iconic]. They’ll buy it from you.’ The next day, the site called, but I refused. I told them, ‘This is a gift from my friend, and I’m not selling it.’
“But to my shock, I received money from the site without selling the shirt. I called them up and said, ‘I told you I didn’t want to sell it. Why did you transfer the money?’
“The person on the line told me, ‘Messi asked us to do this. He gave us another shirt that looked just like yours.’ Tears filled my eyes. I’ll never forget what he did for me, especially after being betrayed by so many. That’s why life rewards him—because he has such a pure heart.”
This act of kindness is not the first time Messi has been known to do something like this, as he has also donated money to several causes in the past.
Why Ronaldinho was Sold by Barcelona
Pep Guardiola was worried about the Brazilian’s influence
Despite his brilliance on the pitch, his antics off it played a big part in why Ronaldinho was shockingly sold by Pep Guardiola in 2008. Despite still being in the prime of his career, the Brazilian joined Italian giants AC Milan, leading to Messi becoming the focal point of what was about to become the greatest team in European football history.
It seemed as though the Samba specialist still had more than enough talent to play an impactful role in Guardiola’s team, but according to former Barca midfielder Alexander Hleb, Ronaldinho was let go because of fears he would become a bad influence on the future eight-time World Player of the Year:
“Ronaldinho and Deco often came to training drunk. That’s why Ronaldinho and Deco were sold in 2008 – because they were afraid they would bring down Lionel Messi.”
Those fears were ones that were shared by other influential members of the Barcelona dressing room, with former captain Carles Puyol stating that he tried to warn his teammate about the path he was heading down. Despite that, the Brazilian claims that it was his decision to want to leave the club, not Guardiola’s, implying that he wanted to experience a new country.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 14/09/2024
