Former Barcelona and Netherlands stalwart Giovanni van Bronckhorst had once revealed that the many tricks that two-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho would pull off on the pitch were entirely pre-meditated.
The manner in which the Brazilian superstar made his presence felt in India for a second consecutive year of Premier Futsal was akin to one of those deft feints that embarrassed defenders aplenty.
After a long wait, Ronaldinho made a dashing entry onto the stage. His entry was expected, but manner in which he pulled off was quite out of the box. The 2002 World Cup winner received a heroic welcome last year.
Despite not being actively involved in the game, he continues have delirious fans chanting his name wherever he goes. It was no different in Mumbai. Even the monsoon couldn’t keep his supporters, who came out in numbers wearing Brazil and Barcelona jerseys.
Ronaldinho, who was in Pakistan a few days ago, said that he was glad to back in India. Perhaps encouraged by his popularity, the fleet-footed maestro has extended his association with Premier Futsal for another three years. “I am happy to be here [in India],” he said. “The very first season was a huge success that motivated everyone at the back here. This season is going to be a bigger success. I am very happy to be hear and receive the love of fans and people from India.”
With the country’s first Fifa event, the U-17 World Cup only three months away, the 36-year-old opined that India recent surge in the world rankings [rated 96th in the world as of July] can be a benchmark for other sports to grow too. “I believe the improvement in Fifa rankings will help Futsal especially after the success of last year. It will also help other sports to grow,” he said.
This season will also see four host cities as opposed to the two from last year. The group stages, which will see the six teams play against each other seven times before the semi-finals and the final, which will be played in Dubai.
Ronaldinho, whose stand-out performance last season was slamming five goals during 7-2 win for his side, Goa 5s against Bengaluru 5s, said that the long-term goal was to bring the youth closer to the sport. “We want to inspire more and more youngsters to take up the sport and all of our efforts, especially the launch pad [Season 1] are directed towards bringing the youth closer to the game,” he said.
Portugal legend Luis Figo and Futsal maestro Falcao will also continue their association with the league. There was little mention of the other marquee names from last season, Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, and Argentine Hernan Crespo.
Another yesteryear Brazilian star, Kaka, along with David Beckham, were also linked with Premier Futsal earlier in the year. The organisers have a mission at hand. Xavier Britto, the chairman said: “We are committed in expanding the sport further and allowing sports enthusiasts from different geographies to come forward and engage with Futsal.”
About the expansion of the tournament, managing director Dinesh Raj said he was focused in providing a “wholesome” experience for the fans: “The fixtures for this year’s tournament have been scheduled keeping in mind the imparting of a wholesome futsal experience across the world.”
Premier Futsal 2 gets underway from September 15th.