On March 4, when Ronaldinho He traveled to Paraguay with the aim of participating in a campaign promoted by the Angelic Fraternity -an entity that provides medical assistance for girls and boys in poverty- and to present his book "Genius in Life", never thought 17 days later he would celebrate his 40th birthday behind bars.
Thus, on March 21, the historical number 10 of the Brazilian team that conquered the world championship in Korea-Japan 2002, He is being held with preventive detention ordered by the Paraguayan justice in the Specialized Association, a local police fortress that is located on the outskirts of the city of Asunción, the country's capital.
Along with his brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira, Dinho entered Paraguay with apocryphal documentation. According to the investigation led by the prosecution, the false passport was provided by the Brazilian businessman Wilmondes Sousa Lira, part of the former player's entourage. For this reason, the 45-year-old man was also charged and is being held in prison.
Waiting for what will happen to the present of Ronaldinho, deprived of his freedom for committing a crime, two personalities of soccer in Brazil referred to the bad moment that one of the best players in history is going through for soccer verdeamarelo.
The first to provide journalistic statements about the former Barcelona footballer was Walter Casagrande, remembered striker of the team that played in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and who shone with the Corinthians jersey. "He was one of the best players in the history of soccer. On the field, he always made the right decisions, but when he stopped, he made the wrong decisions. He left his whole life in the hands of Assis ", mentioned the former player about the influence that Ronaldinho's brother had since he retired from professional activity.
Invited to participate in the podcast Connection, produced by Esporte balloon, Casagrande was incredulous by the attitudes that the footballer who has taken his first steps with the Gremio shirt from Porto Alegre has been showing. “You cannot understand that choice. It is even stupid. It's hard to accept. " added the World Cup.
In addition to the former player, a technical director with extensive experience in Brazilian football and internationally, he also gave his opinion of the situation that Ronaldinho is going through. Sebastiao Lazaroni, the coach who led Brazil in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, said: "This may be an alert to other players. I think the athlete is often surrounded by people who want to take advantage. Because the player has popularity, public recognition, good financial condition. And then people come up with surprising proposals. I want to believe, until proven otherwise, that he may have been involved in something, that he believed that this Paraguayan identity was something honorary, which would show a dose of infantilism outside his field. ", expressed in dialogue with Extra, Brazilian digital medium.
"Sometimes bad company and wrong decisions can end your career", added Lazaroni, who tried to set a bad example for future generations of footballers the path that Ronaldinho chose once he retired from football, in 2015.
Today, that footballer who did wonders with the ball on his feet is in custody and will spend his 40th birthday behind bars.