Throughout his life, Diego Maradona, who died at the age of 60 of a heart attack, proclaimed his admiration for Ronaldinho.
In April, while the Brazilian was detained in Paraguay for using false official documents, Maradona said: “Of course his situation made me sad, he's not a criminal, he just went to work.
His mistake is being an idol, I will support him until death.
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It must be said that between the Argentinian and the Brazilian 20 years his junior, a strong and unique bond has been established, especially since one day in January 2001. We are in Buenos Aires and Maradona invited the talent of Porte Alegre to be able to play a six-on-six match in a garden!
"Ronaldinho was zero, then confided to us the following week Eric Lovey, his agent.
He spent the game watching Maradona play!
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A few minutes later, after this unique match, Diego Maradona handed Ronaldinho his autographed biography: “I wanted to play once in my life against you because you are the last one who makes me dream in football.
At the dawn of his European career which will take him to Paris, Barcelona, then Milan, Ronaldinho was moved to tears by these words.
Subsequently, the two men would meet again on the occasion of charity matches, in particular during a charity match for peace, on October 12, 2016 at the Olympic stadium in Rome, where a long embrace would accompany a wonderful exchange of passes between two artists united by the same passion.
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