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Ronaldinho has double vision of World Cup, Champions League

First Published: May 28, 2006
Brazilian footballer star Ronaldinho Gaucho appears during the afternoon training session of Brazil, in Weggis, Switzerland, on May 26. Ronaldinho wants to complete a dream season by adding a World Cup winners' medal to his Champions League crown with Barcelona.

Brazilian footballer star Ronaldinho Gaucho appears during the afternoon training session of Brazil, in Weggis, Switzerland, on May 26. Ronaldinho wants to complete a dream season by adding a World Cup winners' medal to his Champions League crown with Barcelona.

Brazil star Ronaldinho wants to complete a dream season by adding a World Cup winners' medal to his Champions League crown with Barcelona.

The two-time world footballer of the year said that helping Brazil win a record sixth World Cup would make it a 'perfect year' following Barcelona's triumph in Europe.

"I think that all players dream of winning the biggest tournaments in the world," Ronaldinho said at Brazil's pre-World Cup training camp here. "If we win the World Cup it will be a perfect year for me.

"I've had a great season whatever happens but I have a great opportunity to do so something special and I don't want to let it pass me by."

If Ronaldinho manages to help Brazil win in Germany, he will join an elite band of footballers who have won both titles in the same season.

While a total of 49 players have graced the finals of international and European club football's greatest tournaments in the same year, only a fraction of that figure, eight, have managed to win both.

Ronaldinho's Brazil team-mate Roberto Carlos managed it in 2002, and another Real Madrid player, France's Christian Karembeu achieved it four years earlier.

Six members of the Bayern Munich side led by Franz Beckenbauer achieved the feat in 1974. Ronaldinho meanwhile has slotted into life at Brazil's idyllic Swiss retreat seamlessly, and said the mood within the camp was buoyant.

"We've been working hard on regaining possession when we lose, and keeping the ball when we have it," Ronaldinho said. "We're trying to recreate the same sort of atmosphere that we had when we won the Confederations Cup last year, and it shouldn't be a problem."

Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has so far showed no sign that he intends to break up his team's 'Magic Quartet' of Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo and Adriano by introducing a more defensively-minded midfielder.

All four players lined up in training alongside each other, with Ronaldo in particular looking sharp and trim, allaying fears that his weight had ballooned out of control at Real Madrid.

Ronaldo contributed two fantastic goals in a practice match on Saturday and was constantly involved during a gruelling day of training.