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Ronaldinho brings Champions League excitement to Mexico City
“Lift the trophy, Ronaldinho! Lift the trophy!”
There are many things one might expect to see in a quiet neighbourhood of Mexico City on a regular Friday evening, but it’s fair to say this isn’t one of them. People double-take; car windows are wound down. Yes, that really is Ronaldinho walking down the street with the Champions League trophy.
It’s a surreal sight, but obviously a welcome one to the locals, who snap pictures and later queue for selfies with the Brazilian superstar. It has the feel of a papal visit, such is the buzz.
Ronaldinho is in town as part of UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken, which aims to share the drama of Europe’s biggest club-football competition with fans around the world. And when it comes to excitement, few former players pack quite so much star power.
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It helps that Ronaldinho – who officially announced his retirement just a few months ago – played in the local Liga MEX for a year on the downslope of his career, but the number of Barcelona shirts on display when he appears at a Fan Fest 24 hours later clearly shows that Mexicans live for the Champions League too.
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The queue to enter stretches around the block (and then some), but those lucky enough to get inside are treated to the sight of Ronnie, trademark grin almost as bright as the afternoon sun, dusting off his boots for a little five-a-side action.
He wows the crowd with his repertoire of flicks and no-look passes, and at one point even manages to slam the ball into the referee’s nether regions – a new trick that has him giggling away.
“It’s a great joy,” Ronaldinho says when asked by Yahoo Sport about his role as Trophy Tour ambassador. “I had a very happy year here [as a player], and the people treat me with so much kindness, so much respect.
“It’s always great to come back. The people here are passionate about football. They’re a lot like Brazilians, so I really feel at home.”
Salgado’s memories
After Mexico City, the trophy heads to Guadalajara, where one of Ronaldinho’s old rivals takes on the baton. Former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado was on the other side of Spain’s big footballing divide as a player, but now echoes the Brazilian’s sentiments when it comes to taking the Champions League trophy global.
“The interaction with the fans in Mexico is fantastic,” Salgado says. “It’s like Spain: the first thing you get when you’re a kid is a football. They give you a lot of love when you arrive in the country, and treat you like a hero.
“I’m a privileged guy because I won the Champions League twice; they’re the best memories of my life. It’s a competition that I really miss. Even the anthem is something special. I still get that sensation, and it’s amazing that Heineken brings all this excitement to all the fans around the world.”
Over the past 11 years, the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken® has visited 26 countries across the Americas, Africa and Asia, letting hundreds of thousands of fans who can normally only watch the competition on television, get close to the trophy and share the drama with some of the most iconic players of the game.
