Brazilian legend Ronaldinho on Saturday slammed the Selecao squad for the upcoming Copa America, labelling them the ‘worst team’. Ronaldinho also said that he would boycott all the matches of the national team.
"This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It’s getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority. I’ve been following football since I was a kid, long before I thought about becoming a player, and I’ve never seen a situation as bad as this. Lack of love for the shirt, lack of grit and the most important of all: football,” Ronaldinho posted on Instagram.
“I’ll repeat, our performance has been one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Such a shame. I therefore declare my resignation. I will not watch any CONMEBOL Copa America game, nor celebrate any victory,” he added.
Brazil, coached by Dorival Junior, begin their Copa America campaign against Costa Rica on June 25 (Tuesday, 6.30 am IST). Paraguay and Colombia are the other teams in Group D.
The 44-year-old Ronaldinho was a member of the Brazilian team which won the World Cup for a record-extending fifth time in 2002. The attacking midfielder scored 33 goals for Brazil from 97 games. He won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or.