Arsenal star sends desperate plea after Ronaldinho clarifies brutal Brazil jibe

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has pleaded with his fans to stick by him and his teammates after Ronaldinho's brutal criticism on Saturday.

On Thursday evening, the Samba Boys drew 1-1 with the USA as they continued their preparation for the Copa America this summer. Real Madrid's Rodrygo gave Brazil the lead but former Chelsea man Christian Pulisic equalised to ensure the draw.

After sitting on the result for a couple of days, Ronaldinho then proceeded to launch an astonishing attack on the current national team squad. He wrote on social media: "That's it folks, I've had enough.

"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. I'll repeat, our performance has been one of the worst things I've ever seen. Such a shame.

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"I therefore declare my resignation. I will not watch any CONMEBOL Copa America game, nor celebrate any victory."

However, Ronaldinho has since clarified that those comments were not his true beliefs but rather a medley of opinions he had seen circulating on social media. He followed up on Instagram: "I would never abandon Brazilian football, ever. And I'd never say those things you see...

"Actually, these words came from real Brazilian fans, they are real comments that I saw on the internet... Imagine listening to these messages before you play? Nope, motivation goes down...

"Fan support makes a huge difference to the player, I know what I'm talking about. Guys, what our boys need is support at this time. The more confidence we show, the more confidence they will have on the field.

"That's why, I joined Rexona (deodorant company) in this movement to encourage the Cheer That Doesn't Quit. We are asking everyone to send messages of support and confidence ahead of the CONMEBOL Copa America."

Unsurprisingly, Ronaldinho's comments have left his nation shell shocked with two Arsenal players have been caught in the crossfire. Both Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli are currently with the team for the tournament and it was the former who sent an indirect response to the former Barcelona man.

He shared on his Instagram story a picture from training with a praying emoji and the Brazil flag. This could widely be interpreted as a plea for his nation to stick behind the team.

Brazil's campaign begins on Tuesday, June 25 when they face Costa Rica at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.