Ronaldinho's work ethic is under attack again.
The Brazil playmaker, who hasn't featured this year as he recovers from tendinitis in his left knee, is facing new criticism after As newspaper questioned his diet yesterday.
The Spanish daily printed a photo of a sweat-drenched Ronaldinho in training with FC Barcelona, and suggested that the player's inactivity has led to weight gain. It is the second time within a year that the 27-year-old Brazilian's weight has been a topic of discussion in Spain.
"Ronaldinho is recuperating from an injury in the best manner possible and all of these commentaries revolving around a player of his stature should be heard, but I'm also asking that the player be respected," Barca president Joan Laporta said.
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said Ronaldinho, FIFA's World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, would return to the squad when he was ready.
"He's working very hard, with two sessions a day and that is what is most important," the Dutchman said. "When he's physically ready, he'll return."
Over the past year Ronaldinho hasn't looked like the player who led Barcelona to two straight league titles and the European Cup since his arrival from PSG in 2003.
He started from the bench for the first time at the Camp Nou this season and has subsequently been linked with a move to England's Chelsea or AC Milan of Italy.
"We have no intention of selling Ronaldinho," Laporta said on Friday. "We're planning the season around Ronaldinho and the players we have, and we'll continue under this logic."
Barcelona, who play sixth-placed Racing Santander today, trail Spanish league leaders Real Madrid by seven points at the halfway point of the season.
The Catalan club has advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League and the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB