[Rauffmann]

As the time goes by it becomes more obvious that Ronaldinho is about to be history for Barça or at least he is past his best. Since he and Rivaldo both had the best years of their careers playing with the blaugrana shirt maybe is time to make a comparison. Both Brazilians, magical players very influential for the club and have achieved great things in Barcelona. Who do you think was better for us?

Rivaldo scored 86 goals in 159 appearances. Greatest moment for Ribo the chilean vs Valencia. Ribo also scored from the centre of the field something Ronaldinho hasn't done yet. Won two Ligas and a Copa. Always (almost) rising to the occasion, scoring important goals and carrying the team on his own. Selfish at times but had confidence on his legs and scored some great goals. In contrast to Ronnie obviously he was part of a weaker team that had memorable players like Rochemback, Geovanni, Zenden, Kluivert and Winston. Under the guidance of the cheesehead for most of his time here always arguing about his position. Left the club through the back door much like what's about to happen with Ronnie.

Ronaldinho scored 87 in 188 appearances so far. Greatest moment the 0-3 at the fascists stadium. Changed the modern history of our club in times we were struggling to reach a European spot, a club that was in shambles. Achieved legendary status in this holy stadium scoring several beautiful goals and by doing some wonderful tricks. Including passing the ball with his back, the "sleep" of the ball in his shoulders and so on. Surrounded by the likes of Deco and Eto'o formed a side that brought back memories of the Dream Team. Won 2 Ligas and a CL.

IMWO, Rivaldo was a more "do it on your own" player than Ronnie that had more efficiency in his game. Ronnie is/was more about his beautiful style, the tricks and more of a teammate than Ribo. He is efficient too but not as much as Ribo. That's why i think Ribo was slightly better for us, together with the fact he played with a weaker team than Ronnie. Ronaldinho on the other hand won the CL, but still i think Rivaldo could do it if he was in Ronaldinho's position.

What do you think?

 

[VBI]

I think the fact that Ronaldinho was part of a CL winning team will probably give him the edge for a lot of people. Being in a better team obviously helped, but he was the kingpin of that team. Ronaldinho at his best had more to his game for me, but Rivaldo's astonishing ability to score from distance stands out. He also never really had such a long period of poor form as Ronaldinho is having now. And also, his problems were because of the manager/coach, Ronaldinho's problems are largely self caused. As of right now....hmmm...I may have to side with Rivaldo, just to annoy some. If this season turns out well somehow, Ronaldinho playing even a little part in that may push him ahead.

 

[PepGuardiola]

Both players will be always remembered as one of the biggest stars this club ever had but Ronaldinho will be the one who brought as the 2nd CL...

Rivaldo was threated so unfair from the club, he could have played a lot of more years with us....sad

 

[Youngie]

Rivaldo was the better one...

Ronaldinho was great for one or two years max for Barca. However Rivaldo was consistently great (before he went to Milan).

Ronaldinho played rubbish in the Champion's League Final victory.

 

[FootyFan365]

Ronaldinho...has any other Barcelona player ever received a standing ovation at the Bernabeau for dismantling their beloved Madrid? :lala:

 

[Tomaz]

Ronaldinho...has any other Barcelona player ever received a standing ovation at the Bernabeau for dismantling their beloved Madrid? :lala:

Maradona

 

[Andy Christ]

Ronaldinho. Achieved more and did it in a more spectacular style (this is only a personal opinion of course)

 

[FootyFan365]

Maradona

:dielaugh: Should've known. That says it all. Maradona & then Ronaldinho

 

[Barca addiction]

Well in my opinion both came at their perfect times for Barca. Dosent matter who is better, wat matters is that Rivaldo came in a time where we specifically needed smn like Rivaldo to carry the team. Ronaldinho couldnt in my opinion do what rivaldo did. Alot would argue but we only have to remember ronnie's first 6 months to see that wasnt the case. He could carry us alone thru a game but not a season.

Ronaldinho on the other hand came in a time when we needed him the most. He brought beautiful football with him, the fans back to the stadium, and along with the help of his teammates bought back the titles. I dont think Rivaldo couldve done what Ronaldinho did either. Ronaldinho was a media hit smthng this club didnt have for a while and needed. I do agree with who said that this 2nd cl will tip the scale Ronaldinho's way.

 

[PetritH]

Both.

 

[Kopriva]

No doubts for me, it's Rivaldo.

He is the one I always tried to imitate on the pitch when I was younger. He saved us a lot of times during the dark years and I can never forget what he made me feel like game after game. His goal against Valencia is the most beautiful I've ever seen and ever will see. No goal can mean that much to me. It was a moment of magic if I ever felt one.

Ronaldinho is the only one who truly got me thinking that what I'm seeing is the perfect football player. I may have said that for a couple more, but only with Ronaldinho did I really, really mean it.

I just don't know if Ronnie would be able to do as amazing as Rivaldo did with a weaker side. Ronaldinho was in a weaker team in the first part of the 03-04 season, before Davids, and the team sucked. Rivaldo carried his teams pretty much all alone. I didn't see that from Ronaldinho, although he was the best player in our best years, he still didn't seem capable of single-handedly salvaging the team. There's no doubt that Ronnie was more attractive, but Rivaldo was more direct, more concrete, generally had more influence on the game.

 

[Rondinaire]

You guys have said it all for anyone who wants to compare the two but one thing that hasn't been said yet is that Rivaldo was pretty constantly whistled by the crowd for ball hogging and then losing it.
I love them both but for me Ronaldinho is simply the best and almost up there with Pelé; a one man circus and football show rolled into one who changed the history of our club.

 

[Alter Ego]

rivaldo

 

[Jaime_Tottes]

Rivaldo was maybz a lil bit of a "selfish" player but it worked for him, Ronnie on the other hand bounced of his teammates and played his best when he could play with them... Both players were EXTRAORDINARY! Rivaldo with that hat trick against Valencia i will never forget and ROnnie with the Brace in the Santiago blah blah blah....

 

[Xavinho]

Ronaldinho was great for one or two years max for Barca.

What an utter crock of sh*t.

 

[arfy05]

As a La Liga fan I can say without hesitation it was Ronaldinho, I think a lot of people's decision making is based on the fact R10 is going through a very bad phase and people identify him with the decline.

However first of all Ronaldinho had something Rivaldo lacked in the Blaugrana shirt: leadership. Ronnie joined a team with no identity, no success and a club which had been in institutional decay for a few years. But it didn't phase him, he took the pressure and carried it on his shoulder. Over time others grew in there football consequently but none had to deal with what he did not Eto'o, not Messi. He revived a dead team and a club in tatters, he gave the Camp Nou something to shout about. All of a sudden Barcelona no longer contained the dark clouds which marred the latter years of Rivaldo, which chorus of boos and such. Rivaldo never had that ability to be a leader, to inspire the others and to carry that weight, well thats how I saw it. This set Ronnie apart firstly for me.

But also the football, Ronaldinho was the main star of a team which won 2 Liga's and a UCL. That doesn't sound as impressive as players of old, but the modern climate of the game is such that the cycle of football gets shorter in Spain. Rapid economic powers of the big teams and in-depth knowledge of the top talent in South America especially means that the cycle is shorter as teams in problems invest in projects and such, with the economic capacities and such. So in that climate the achievement of Ronaldinho's Barca was exceptional, especially the Liga and UCL. Ronaldinho won important titles for Barca and did it as the mainstay of the team, Rivaldo won two Liga's but he played with Figo who was the leader and identity of the team, when he had to step into the limelight and be the fundamental carrier of Barca he failed. Sure someone will post the last minute OH, but its an isolated incident and though it showed the brilliance of Rivaldo, this was never quantified in terms of success for the period where he was the main man.

For 3 years Ronaldinho produced football I have not seen since that Ronaldo season at Barca, but in terms of style you can go further back and compare it to Maradona. Those 3 years he was unplayable, something Rivaldo I never got the sense with in Barca. Brasil is a different kettle of fish, but I speak of both in relation to what I saw them do in Camp Nou.

Its an easy answer for me: Ronaldinho.

 

[Dekalog]

Very well-put, arfy, and I firmly agree.

 

[Xavinho]

So do I. :thmbup:

 

[Ivar]

Me too :thumbsup: .

Hope Ronnie got plenty of years good years in Blaugrana and plenty of claps in Santiago blah blah blah, great goals too .

 

[Kopriva]

I don't see how Rivaldo failed. He was absolutely phenomenal for us and did everything you could expect your "10" to do. It's not his fault the Club was buying players like Petit, Dutruel and Christanval in contrast to Ronaldinho's Barca that bought Eto'o, Deco, Marquez, Giuly, Larsson and introduced Messi.

Arfy said that Rivaldo failed to lead the team. !!
Rivaldo was in the winning team until it fell apart due to poor decision making. He wasn't the guy who decides on transfers. Rivaldo played in a weaker team and was the one keeping us "alive", if you could call battling for CL qualification "being alive".
Ronaldinho came and everything sucked in the team except him. Then we brought Davids and the team suddenly started playing football after Davids played a few games and got the hang of things. The truth is that Davids was the missing factor that saved the 03-04 season. Ronaldinho was extremely important, but Davids' arrival changed things completely, as I believe we improved something like 10 places in the standings once Davids started playing. In the summer of 2004 we buy the mentioned stars and suddenly Ronaldinho is not alone anymore, he has Deco, Rafa and Eto'o, to name the most important ones. The team is much stronger and we win two leagues and a CL.

So, how was Ronaldinho's leadership that much better? Clearly both of them needed help from players on a similar level in order to get the team a trophy. They both failed to do it single-handedly, they both have three major trophies, with the differences being:
- Rivaldo had to carry the team much longer, in contrast to Ronnie's half a season
- Ronaldinho played in a stronger team and won the CL (which was not won by him alone, but by the entire team functioning perfectly)

During Ronaldinho's era, we had a fantastic team that gelled like few teams have done before. In the darker part of Rivaldo's era, he was alone guiding us to European participation with really average players.

When you sum up everything, I think people side with Ronaldinho mostly because he was more attractive to watch (even though Rivaldo was also a very attractive, master class player) and he had the luck to form part of an amazing squad that took the Champions League for only the second time in club's history. And people that side with Ronnie aren't wrong, it just depends on what you prefer, a player who gives you the crown of Europe or a player who carries you on his back through very hard times. I prefer the latter.
When it comes to leadership, there's no doubt that Rivaldo was always more of a leader than Ronaldinho.