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Report: Ronaldinho to MLS was scuttled because he got drunk

Report: Ronaldinho to MLS was scuttled because he got drunk

According to a well-respected American soccer journalist, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho had designs on joining MLS years ago. Dave Martinez writes that he was being courted by Red Bull New York, who had arranged a phone call with him and his entourage.

However, according to multiple sources, the world-class ball handler appeared drunk on the other end of the line. He was slurring his speech, rambling incoherently, and asked about women.

Unsurprisingly, RBNY lost interest and the deal never materialized. 

Though Martinez doesn’t specify the time-period, it’s likely this occurred in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. That year RBNY signed Thierry Henry. It’s entirely possible the Frenchman was an alternative to Ronaldinho, until the phone call.