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Following a secondplace La Liga finish to Real Madrid in the 2006–07 season and an injuryplagued 2007–08 season , Ronaldinho suffered a decline in his performances—due to a decrease in dedication and focus towards football. In 2008, he departed Barcelona to join AC Milan , where he was part of the squad that won the 2010–11 Serie A . He returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo in 2011 and Atlético Mineiro a year later where he won the 2013 Copa Libertadores , before moving to Mexico to play for Querétaro and then back to Brazil to play for Fluminense in 2015. In 2026, he came out of retirement to play for Ravenna. In this Portuguese name , the first or maternal family name isand the second or paternal family name is Ronaldos football skills began to blossom at the age of eight, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho — inho , meaning small—because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches. 11 He developed an interest in futsal and beach football , which later expanded to organized football . 13 Many of his signature moves originate from futsal , especially his ball control. 14 His first brush with the media came at the age of 13, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team. 15 Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U17 World Championship in Egypt , in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks. 16 17 Club career Flamengo Ronaldinho celebrates scoring for Flamengo in February 2011. After being heavily linked with a move back to his childhood club Grêmio, Ronaldinho joined Flamengo on 11 January 2011 with a contract ending in 2014.87 During the transfer saga, many reports had linked the former World Player of the Year to joining different clubs, such as LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer, Blackburn Rovers of the Premier League, and Brazilian clubs Corinthians and Palmeiras. He was greeted by more than 20000 fans at his unveiling at his new club on 13 January 2011.88 Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Flamengo in the 3–2 victory against Boavista on 6 February 2011.89 On 27 February, he converted a secondhalf free kick for Flamengo to beat Boavista 1–0 and win his first piece of silverware with the team, the Taça Guanabara. Ronaldinho lifted his first trophy with Flamengo after curling in a rightfooted shot over the wall in the 71st minute at Engenhão stadium. The goal gave Flamengo its 19th Taça Guanabara title, which earned the Campeonato Carioca title two months later, as the team also won the Taça Rio. On 27 July 2011, Ronaldinho scored a hattrick in Flamengos 5–4 away win against rivals Santos, after being 3–0 down inside the first 30 minutes.90 On 31 May 2012, after being absent for a few days, he sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and cancelled his contract with the club.91 Fluminense On 11 July 2015, Ronaldinho announced his return to Brazil and signed an 18month contract with Fluminense,114 but on 28 September, Ronaldinho reached a mutual agreement with the club to terminate the deal.115 He made nine appearances during his twomonth stint at the club, failing to impress and being heavily criticized by the fans.116 Fluminense sporting director Mario Bittencourt stated, Ronaldinho asked us for a meeting. He respectfully told us he didnt feel he was able to perform as well as he wanted and that it was a bad situation for him. He made a great gesture in saying he wasnt being the player he felt he could be right now. Ill never speak about whether or not he is retiring. Thats not something you say about a player of his calibre. He was always spectacular, as player and person.116 Beach soccer In January 2019, Ronaldinho participated in a testimonial beach soccer match in Rio de Janeiro honoring his close friend and fellow Brazilian beach soccer legend Jorginho, who had retired from competitive play in 2018 after a career spanning more than two decades.124 Playing for Brazil against Japan, Ronaldinho scored a hattrick, as Brazil won 11–4. The match celebrated Jorginhos contributions to beach soccer, with both players wearing the number 10 shirt.125