Ronaldinho Recalls Warm Welcome in Morocco During 2013 Club World Cup

In an interview with CNEWS, on the sidelines of the Champions League final, Ronaldinho looked back on one of the memories that marked him during the Club World Cup semi-final that was played between Atlético Mineiro and Raja Casablanca. Even though the player’s club lost (3-1), Ronaldinho scored a superb free kick, and was able to realize his popularity in Morocco, both among the supporters and the players.

He especially remembers the way the Moroccans were pulling on his jersey, wanting to have a souvenir of his passage in Morocco at all costs. "We had lost but it was an incredible atmosphere. That day, it was a great football party. Raja (who had lost in the final against Franck Ribéry’s Bayern Munich) had deserved their qualification. And at the end, several players had come to see me. It had touched me a lot. That’s also football."

Since then, Ronaldinho regularly spends his vacations in Morocco or for charity matches. Through this interview, he took the opportunity to send a message to his Moroccan fans. "Whenever I have the opportunity to go there, I am well received and I play football there too. Morocco is a country that I have always appreciated. I have a lot of Moroccan friends," he stressed.