One of the main Bible teachings, beyond loving your neighbour and pre-empting the Conservative Party by attempting to feed an entire community on five loaves and two fishes, is that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
The literal meaning, in that a person with not much upstairs is an ideal candidate for evil doings, can be safely filed alongside the more boxer-wetting elements of the Bible designed to encourage obedience over individuality.
But, when applied to elite-level football, the theory becomes something else entirely. A space for innovation, creativity and pushing the boundaries of the game beyond 4-4-2 and being first to the second ball.
Or, if you’re Ronaldinho, being so mentally underwhelmed during a game where the La Liga title was on the line as to invent a physics-defying pass that capped his ascension to the heavens.
During Barcelona‘s trip to Celta Vigo in May 2006, a venue renowned across Spain as a ‘Tough Place to Visit’, Ronaldinho controlled a 50-yard diagonal pass from Rafael Marquez with the grace of an Olympic gymnast.
The control alone would have spawned a million GIFs if it wasn’t 2006, when mainstream technology hadn’t evolved beyond novelty ringtones and Snake.
But Ronaldinho hadn’t finished. Jinking inside with a seductive swerve of the hips, the former Brazil international pinged a delivery across the penalty area that contained more backspin than the entire bowling career of Shane Warne.
The ball travelled fast and flat as the Celta Vigo backline stood rooted to the spot with their jaws on the floor. If Henrik Larsson had slotted the chance away, instead of seeing his shot saved by the goalkeeper’s legs, we’d have witnessed one of the greatest assists of all time.
But don’t let trifling matters such as ‘end product’ and ‘goal contributions’ cloud your judgement.
In mere seconds, Ronaldinho had executed a pass that wouldn’t look out of place as a FIFA cheat code. Forget the pyramids, advances in medicine and the invention of sliced bread; this was the greatest creative endeavour known to man.
Ronaldinho made that pass look easy 😈🔥 pic.twitter.com/fonwNNnIin
— ⚽️🕊 (@futbolvibez) January 11, 2019
But why choose then? Elite-level football requires a level of concentration beyond our comprehension and even those who make it look easy cannot afford to switch off.
The answer is simple; Ronaldinho was different. And peak Ronaldinho, between 2004 and 2006, was unquestionably the best…
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