Ronaldo criticizes Barcelona’s treatment of Brazilian legends
Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario has voiced his displeasure with how Barcelona treated several of their Brazilian stars, including himself, Ronaldinho, and Neymar. In a recent interview with Esporte Interactivo, Ronaldo, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, highlighted how these Brazilian players were mistreated by the Spanish club, despite their significant contributions.
Ronaldo, who spent a single season at Barcelona during the 1996/97 campaign, enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons in football history, scoring 47 goals in 49 appearances. Despite his incredible form, he was sold to Inter Milan the following year, a decision Ronaldo believes was similar to how Ronaldinho was offloaded to make way for Lionel Messi’s rise.
Neymar also departed Barcelona under controversial circumstances, leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record fee after four seasons. Ronaldo believes Neymar’s decision to leave was partly influenced by his desire to step out of Messi’s shadow, but he criticized Barcelona for how they handled the situation.
Ronaldo remarked, “In the end, my history with Barca was very bad, similar to the one Neymar had. Barcelona have always had issues with Brazilian players: Neymar, Romario, Ronaldinho, and me. We were all treated badly by the club in the end, despite all our contributions and dedication.”
The Brazilian striker, who won two World Cups with Brazil, acknowledged Barcelona as a great city but expressed a stronger connection with Real Madrid, where he now serves as a club ambassador.
Despite their strained endings at Barcelona, all these players left an indelible mark on the club’s history, with Ronaldo still being regarded as one of the greatest strikers to ever play the game
