"We say to ourselves" What's going on? Who is this player? ”” On February 22, 2003, confusion reigned in the ranks of En Avant Guingamp, as Lionel Bah confided to Ouest-France last February. The Bretons evolve at home, but "we do not know where we are" after 20 minutes of play, admits the Guingampais environment. The cause ? A goal from elsewhere signed Ronaldinho. For one of his last matches at PSG before joining FC Barcelona, the Brazilian playmaker splashed a simple Ligue 1 match in his class.
"We wanted to make a mistake, but it was going so fast that we couldn't even catch it."
Lionel BahPlaced in front of the defense, Lionel Bah expected a difficult match. "I knew I would have Ronaldinho in my zone," he told L'Équipe . I had to follow him everywhere on the ground. It is true that I struggled a lot that day! (smile) "Especially since it was the first tenure in Ligue 1 for the Ivorian, who was" still chambered because of this goal "in 2016. On the famous goal in question, Ronaldinho receives the ball near the central circle. He accelerates in front of Drogba, eliminates Bah by a one-two with Jérôme Leroy, avoids the tackle of Kouassi, mystifies Sikimic with a passing of legs then marks a balloon poked in front of Le Crom. Paris leads 1-0.
Ronaldinho's goal against Guingamp
Paris lost the match ... on a double from Drogba
"Sometimes we wanted to make mistakes. But he was going so fast that we couldn't even catch him, ”breathes Lionel Bah. Right-back Jean-Louis Montero nods in the columns of France Football : “What impressed me was that when you see him like that, you have the impression that he is someone very technical. Yes, he is very technical, but he is also very powerful with the ball. So even in running after him without a ball, we couldn't catch him. ” Already world champion with Brazil in 2002 and future Ballon d'Or in 2005, Ronaldinho was at the top of his game. "Besides, he always had a smile on his face," Montero stumbles. He exuded tranquility, as if he were hermetic to pressure. He was different from the others. ”
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Despite "Ronnie", PSG ended the 2002-03 season at a disappointing 11th place. Above all, the goal of the Brazilian does not say everything about the match. Because after leading 2-0 (Leroy, 54th), Paris collapsed. On a center of Montero, Auriol Guillaume reduced the head gap (61st). It was then Didier Drogba who, with a powerful strike in the area, gave Lionel Letizi (68th) no chance. The Ivorian, who will join Marseille the following summer, had not scored in 7 games. He even ended up exploding the Roudourou by taking advantage of a service from Hakim Kaci and ahead of Mauricio Pochettino (90th, 3-2). Guingamp will end the 7th season of Ligue 1, just 3 points from the podium and OM. But not enough to steal the show from Ronaldinho.
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