'I would never abandon Brazil' – Ronaldinho backtracks on Copa America comments

By Sports Desk June 16, 2024

Ronaldinho has declared he will never "abandon" Brazil, rowing back on his previous claim that he will not support the Selecao at the upcoming Copa America.

Brazil are gearing up for a tilt at a 10th South American title, with Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica awaiting Dorival Junior's team in Group D.

Just 10 days prior to their opening game against Costa Rica in Los Angeles, Selecao great Ronaldinho said he has "had enough" with the team and would not watch any of their matches at the tournament.

The 2002 World Cup winner said the current Brazil squad displayed a "lack of love for the shirt and lack of grit", adding: "I've never seen a situation as bad as this."

However, Ronaldinho has now suggested those comments were simply reflecting the stance of many fans and were not his own feelings.

In a video posted to his Instagram account, he said: "I would never abandon Brazilian football, ever. 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? Motivation goes down... fan support makes a huge difference to the players. I know what I'm talking about. 

"What our boys need is support at this time. The more confidence we show, the more confidence they will have on the field."

Related items

  • Euro 2024 social round-up: Slovenia create history as Maupay pokes fun at England Euro 2024 social round-up: Slovenia create history as Maupay pokes fun at England

    Two more groups at Euro 2024 concluded on Tuesday as the tournament approaches the end of the first round.

    England, Austria, France, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Denmark all confirmed their places in the knockout stage of the competition. 

    Here, we unpack the best of the day's social media clips from the tournament in Germany.

    Austria advance as group winners

    Very few gave Austria a chance of emerging from Group D, let alone expected them to finish top ahead of France and the Netherlands. 

    But Ralf Rangnick masterminded a spectacular display against the Oranje in Berlin to ensure their progression as group winners. 

    Having endured a difficult spell with Manchester United, the 65-year-old is showing his class on the international stage, and Austria's official account celebrated along with the coach.

    Maupay pokes fun at England 

    Known for his tormenting antics both on and off the pitch, France's Neal Maupay was at it again following England's goalless draw with Slovenia. 

    The Everton striker was quick to post on social media shortly after full-time in Cologne, posting a GIF of Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards to X. 

    That trio of pundits have been the target of some ire from the England camp for their disparaging comments in recent days.

    Ahead of the new Premier League season, this will surely fail to improve Maupay's popularity. 

    Slovenia create history

    England were met with boos when Clement Turpin's final whistle sounded. However, the opposite end of the Cologne Stadium was sheer euphoria. 

    Despite failing to win a game at Euro 2024, Slovenia's three draws in Group C were enough to secure their spot in the knockout stages of the competition. 

    An incredible achievement for a nation with a population of just 2.1 million and the third-lowest ranked team heading into the tournament. 

    'Southgate, Southgate, thank you for the point'

    While Gareth Southgate may not be the most popular among England fans right now, he certainly has the backing of the Slovenian supporters. 

    Presenter and reporter Phil Kitromilides posted to X a video of a Slovenian thanking the Three Lions manager for the point that sent his nation through to the knockout stages. 

    France gaining support from afar

    While Les Bleus prepare for the knockout stages of Euro 2024, France legend Thierry Henry is prepping for an entirely different competition.

    The former Arsenal striker, who won two major honours with his nation, is in charge of France's Olympic team for the Paris games, and is gearing up to win gold next month. 

    Both the men's and women's teams were snapped taking a break from preparations to cheer on Didier Deschamps' side against Poland. That match finished 1-1.

     

    Oranje take over Berlin

    Despite not knowing what was to come at the Olympiastadion, the travelling Netherlands support were in fine voice ahead of their 3-2 defeat to Austria. 

    A sea of orange (Oranje) lined the streets of the German capital, performing some impressively synchronised dance moves. 

    The Dutch fans have been a highlight of the tournament, even if their team have failed to spark.

    Germany all smiles ahead of knockout stages

    Having secured their qualification to the last 16 with their draw with Switzerland on Sunday, Germany's stars were all smiles in training. 

    Following the conclusion of Group C, Julian Nagelsmann's side will face Denmark in Dortmund this Saturday, and will be hoping to build on their impressive start. 

    Onana's inspirational Belgium team talk

    With Group E finely poised heading into Matchday 3, Belgium's Amadou Onana provided a motivational team talk for the Red Devils ahead of their meeting with Ukraine. 

    The midfielder also managed to squeeze in his own rendition of R.Kelly's 'I Believe I Can Fly', and he will be hoping to soar into the knockout stages with Belgium.

    Last week, Onana hit out at a reporter who repeatedly called him "Andre", so the Belgian social media department had some fun with that, too.

    Spain firing on all cylinders

    After maintaining their unbeaten start to their Euros campaign, Luis de la Fuente's side are showing no signs of slowing down ahead of the knockouts. 

    La Roja posted a video on X showcasing a shooting drill from training, and it looks like they could take some stopping in Germany. 

    Celebrating Van Basten strike

    On this day in 1988, the Netherlands beat the Soviet Union to win the European Championships for the first time in their history. 

    After Ruud Gullit opened the scoring, Marco van Basten secured the victory with one of the most iconic goals ever scored at the tournament.

    And what better way to celebrate it than by recreating the strike with Euro 2024's mascot, Albart. 

  • Euro 2024 data dive: Mbappe finally off the mark, expect (no) goals when England play Euro 2024 data dive: Mbappe finally off the mark, expect (no) goals when England play

    Kylian Mbappe finally got going at Euro 2024, though France could not beat Poland.

    Austria topped Group D, having defeated the Netherlands.

    There was less action in the later matches in Group C, however.

    Here, we round up the best statistics from the penultimate group-stage day of Euro 2024.

    France 1-1 Poland: Masked Mbappe off the mark

    It has been a long time coming, but Mbappe, with what was his 23rd shot, finally scored his first European Championship goal for France, converting a 56th-minute penalty against Poland in Dortmund.

    Mbappe brought up his 13th goal for France at major international tournaments (with the previous 12 having come at the World Cup), with only Michel Platini netting more for Les Bleus in the two competitions combined (14).

    That goal was also the first to be scored by a French player at Euro 2024, with Les Bleus having beaten Austria thanks to an own goal before they drew 0-0 with the Netherlands. 

    Mbappe's maiden Euros strike was not enough to secure a French win, though, with Robert Lewandowski levelling an equaliser from the penalty spot for already-eliminated Poland.

    Lewandowski became just the third player to score in four different editions of the European Championships after Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, while the 35-year-old is the only player to score at each of the last four Euros (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024).

    That being said, Poland have failed to win any of the five games in which Lewandowski has scored at the Euros (drawn four, lost one), the most games a player has scored in while failing to win in the competition's history.

    This is the first time France have failed to win their group at a major international tournament since Euro 2012, with Les Bleus having finished as group winners at each of the previous five such tournaments before Euro 2024.

    Netherlands 2-3 Austria: Wreck it Ralf

    Plumped into a group with the Netherlands and tournament favourites France, Austria weren't fancied by many to come out on top. Well, Ralf Rangnick's side had other ideas.

    Marcel Sabitzer became the first Austrian to play 10 matches at the European Championships, scoring his first goal in the competition from his 22nd shot, to seal a 3-2 victory in Berlin.

    Austria have scored six goals at Euro 2024, their most in any edition of the tournament and their most in a major tournament since the 1978 World Cup (seven).

    It is the first time Austria have won successive Euros matches. They have won four of their last six group stage matches in the competition (lost two), having not won any of their first six such games (drawn two, lost four).

    The Netherlands, meanwhile, lost their first group-stage game at the Euros since 2012 against Portugal (2-1), while they last lost a match in the competition despite scoring two or more goals in 2004, against Czechia (3-2).

    Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay got the goals for Ronald Koeman's team. Liverpool forward Gakpo has scored five of the Netherlands' last eight group-stage goals at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros), with no other Dutch player netting more than once in those matches.

     

    England 0-0 Slovenia: Expected goals? Forget it

    Another game, another unconvincing display from England, though they still finished top of Group C.

    This was England’s seventh 0-0 draw at the European Championship (41st game), second only to Italy in the history of the competition (eight in 48 games).

    The Three Lions accumulated an expected goals (xG) of just 0.87. Indeed, England's matches at Euro 2024 have produced the fewest xG (2.26 for, 1.13 against).

    England's first shot in this match came via Harry Kane in the 30th minute – it was their longest wait for a shot in a match at the Euros since their meeting with Germany in 2000 (35th minute).

    Gareth Southgate's team had 74% possession, which was the highest figure they have recorded in a major tournament match in which they failed to score.

    Slovenia (57th) are the lowest-ranked side England have ever faced in a match at a major tournament since the FIFA ranking was introduced.

    However, this result ensures Slovenia will be in the last 16 as one of the best third-placed sides.

    Both Slovenia and Denmark drew all three of their Group C games; only once previously had a side drew all three of their group games in a single edition of the Euros, with Portugal doing so in 2016. Could Slovenia go on and replicate the Selecao's triumph? Surely not...

    Denmark 0-0 Serbia: Eriksen's milestone appearance

    Denmark could perhaps have been a tad braver against Serbia, and if they had, then they might have avoided Germany in the last 16.

    As it is, they will play the hosts after a goalless draw with Serbia, who exited the competition in the process.

    Christian Eriksen featured again and, in the process, became Denmark's record appearance maker, with 133 caps.

    Eriksen created another two chances to add to his total haul of 13 at Euro 2024, the most-ever by a Danish player at a major tournament on record.

    Denmark have drawn all three of their group games for the first time ever at a major tournament, while in all competitions, it is the first time the Danes have strung three draws together in a row since a run of four in June 2019.

    Serbia are now without a victory in their last eight major tournament matches, since a 1-0 win over Costa Rica at the 2018 World Cup, their joint longest winless run at major tournaments.

    They mustered just one shot on target, with their total haul of six shots on target at Euro 2024 their lowest-ever figure as an independent nation at a major tournament.

  • Southgate concedes 'it's hard work' for England after Slovenia draw Southgate concedes 'it's hard work' for England after Slovenia draw

    Gareth Southgate acknowledged it is "hard work" for England so far at Euro 2024, but attempted to focus on the positives despite another underwhelming draw for his side, this time against Slovenia.

    The goalless clash in Cologne on Tuesday was enough for the Three Lions to secure top spot in Group C ahead of Denmark, who also drew 0-0 with Serbia.

    Southgate's side therefore avoided a last-16 tie against Germany, but struggled once more to find an attacking spark.

    The front three of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden managed just two shots on target between them, while also registering just nine touches in Slovenia's penalty box.

    England came under heavy criticism following their 1-1 draw with Denmark last week and there were boos from sections of their supporters following the full-time whistle in this game.

    But Southgate insisted his side had performed better in their final group outing. 

    "I thought we were much-improved with the ball," he told ITV. "We've created some good openings.

    "At the moment, it's hard work for us. We're not quite getting that break in front of goal.

    "We've had the discipline to keep a clean sheet, which has ended up meaning we top the group. I understand some reactions, but it's a strange environment we're playing in.

    "We wanted to win the game, as you saw from the attacking changes we made. There were lots of things we can build on from the game and a lot of things are starting to come together.

    "We looked more dangerous and we had a good impact from our subs. We've now just got to convert those chances."

    The Three Lions boss praised the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon for their displays from the bench, and also explained his decision to replace Conor Gallagher - the sole change to the starting line-up from the Denmark game - at half-time.

    "They're really young players, so we're balancing blooding them in a difficult environment, but they used the ball really well for us," he said.

    "We started with Conor, who presses well, and I thought we did that better at the start of the game. We then felt Kobbie's ability to move the ball through the middle of the pitch was going to be helpful, which he did.

    "I don't think we were going to go from where we were to winning 3-0 or 4-0; it's not realistic in the intensity in the game that we had. But there were a lot of things I was really pleased with."

    England now await the identity of their last-16 opponents, which will either be the Netherlands - who finished third in Group D - or the third-placed nation in Group E.

    The Euro 2020 finalists have avoided the half of the draw containing the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France.

    However, Southgate was quick to sweep aside any suggestions his side have been handed a more straightforward path towards a potentially deep run in the competition.

    "We have to take it a step at a time," he added. "This was an improvement, but we've got to improve to win in the next round clearly.

    "We have topped the group, and that was the objective at the start.

    "We've got to play well and whoever we play, it's going to be a really tough game. We shouldn't be seduced by which half of the draw we're in."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.