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Reuters
Zurich, May 16, 2006

Do you fancy spending a night in the same hotel room that Ronaldinho, star of Brazil’s World Cup squad, has just slept in?

If so, make your bid in an eBay online auction launched by a luxury hotel in central Switzerland where the Brazilian team will set up training camp next Monday before the World Cup in neighbouring Germany.

"We just hit on the idea by chatting among ourselves in the hotel management," assistant manager Philipp Musshafen at the Park Hotel Weggis said on Tuesday.

The highest bid so far for Ronaldinho’s double room is 502 Swiss francs (220 pounds) - with much lower bids of 51 francs apiece being made for the rooms of fellow players Ronaldo, Kaka, Adriano and Roberto Carlos.

The auction (www.ebay.ch) runs until May 29.

Winners will spend the night of June 3 at the hotel, just hours after the Brazilians move out at the end of a two-week stay. They will also be given signed Brazilian football shirts. Normal rates for the five rooms on offer range from 480 to 780 Swiss francs each.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com

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Thierry Henry is in no doubt about the difference between the teams last night - it was Henrik Larsson.

The Frenchman praised the Swede’s contribution after the 35-year-old came off the bench in 61 minutes to turn the game.

"All the time you talk about Ronaldinho, but I didn’t see him or Eto’o last night," said Henry. "All I could see was Henrik Larsson coming off the bench and creating two goals … and that was the key to the game."

Of his last game for Barca before going home to join first club Helsingborgs, Larsson said "It was tough and the whole team deserve credit for the win. It was an unbelievable way to finish my career at Barcelona. I’ve had a fantastic two years, with two titles and now this. It’s amazing."

Larsson set up the equaliser with a delicate pass to Eto’o. They he picked out the run of Juliano Belletti with an angled pass which took out two defenders.

Barca boss Frank Rijkaard also hailed Larsson’s role in the victory, but said there was no chance of the Swede staying at the Nou Camp for one more season, having signed from Celtic in July, 2004.

"He is a wonderful player, and a very important player for us," said Rijkaard. "He is always ready and prepared to come on and really help the team when we need him.

"Henrik has made his decision. He says now is the right time for him to go back home."

Publication date 18/05/06

Source: www.eveningtimes.co.uk

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By ROB WOOLLARD
16may06

PARIS will welcome the return of its two most famous footballing musketeers when Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry face off in a mouthwatering Champions League duel on Thursday morning.

The head-to-head contest between Barcelona’s world footballer of the year Ronaldinho and Arsenal’s inspirational captain Henry could well prove decisive when the Spanish and English giants collide at the Stade de France.

But while Paris is, in theory, neutral territory for the two teams, both Ronaldinho and Henry have a deep emotional attachment to the City of Light.

Henry’s ties to Paris stretch back to his birth in the Parisian suburb of Les Ulis 28 years ago.

It was there that he began playing in local junior leagues, standing out even at an early age with his phenomenal speed and eye for goal.

Claude Chezelle, Henry’s first coach, says the talent of Arsenal’s record goalscorer was immediately apparent.

"When I watch him on TV it’s just like seeing the grown-up version of the boy," he said.

Henry’s break came when he was spotted by a scout for Monaco as a 13-year-old. The club sent him to the French football academy at Clairefontaine to hone his talent and he made his debut for Monaco aged 17.

Ronaldinho’s links to the French capital, meanwhile, are more recent, forged over a two-year stint with Paris St Germain from 2001 to 2003.

"Going back to Paris is like going home," said the Brazilian. "It’s not my country but as soon as I step off the plane I know where I am, and where I’m going."

While Ronaldinho and Henry will be the best of enemies on Thursday morning, they are becoming friends off the pitch.

As speculation rages that Henry may leave Arsenal to form a dream attacking partnership with Ronaldinho at Barcelona, the Brazilian World Cup winner has revealed that he is in regular contact with the Frenchman.

"I speak with Henry on the phone quite often, but I haven’t spoken to him this week," said Ronaldinho. He is a fantastic player, one of the best in the world.

"But this is not a contest between Ronaldinho and Henry, it is a game between Barca and Arsenal and we all have to be prepared."

Source: www.theadvertiser.news.com.au

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Ronaldinho says Barcelona never doubted despite taking over 75 minutes to break down ten-man Arsenal to win the Champions League on Wednesday.

Source: www.eurosport.com

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Last Modified: 19 May 2006
Source: ITN

Chelsea captain John Terry believes that England will be able to "deal with" World Footballer of the Year Ronaldinho if they come up against the Brazilian in this summer’s World Cup finals.

Depending on results, England and Brazil are on course to clash in the semi-finals in Germany in what would be a rematch of their meeting in the quarter-finals in Japan four years ago.

But Terry has has taken confidence from the way Chelsea have dealt with Ronaldinho in their meetings with Barcelona over the last two seasons in the Champions League.

And the 25-year-old Blues centre-back said: "Everyone says Ronaldinho is the best player in the world which I personally agree with. But going into any possible game I don’t think we’re going to show him too much respect or let him get away with things.

"Paulo Ferreira marked him really well and got really tight to him for Chelsea and against England he’d be up against the likes of Gary Neville who is a fantastic world class player and I’m sure he’ll know how to deal with him.

"Ronaldinho is a great player and difficult to mark but I’m sure we’ll do our best. He’s a very strong player, he’s got great feet, is a great finisher. He scores goals, he’s quick. He’s absolutely got everything."

There was a time when the Italian defenders were widely regarded as the best in the business.

But Terry believes that England should now be placed in the same bracket and he is a particular admirer of Manchester United right-back Gary Neville and his preparations.

He added: "I think we have certainly caught up with the Italians, if you want to put it that way, but I’m not saying there aren’t world class defenders out there.

"There’s (Alessandro) Nesta, (Carles) Puyol, etc. I’ve had the likes of Marcel Desailly and William Gallas with me at Chelsea and I’ve learned from Ricardo Carvalho.

"But which defenders in the world do I admire? I tend to think of the English lads really, the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville. I see these people day in day out in the Premiership

"Certainly coming away with England and seeing Gary Neville and seeing how he works in training and after training is excellent. It’s not just about games, it’s about preparation and he is spot on all the time."

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, believes, that the time has come for England to deliver at this summer’s World Cup after insisting one major trophy in the national team’s history is "not good enough".

Carragher said: "I talk to the other players about it. To have won only trophy in our history is unbelievable. It’s not good enough with the players England have had down the years.

"Greece have done it but we’ve never won a European Championship. It’s about time that England did do something on an international stage. Everyone else seems to do it and we always seem to fall short for whatever reason.

"But I think the group of players we have is one of the best probably since we last won the World Cup - and hopefully we can go and win it again this summer."

He added: "When you look at the favourites for the World Cup, Brazil are a stand-out team and people talk about the Italian and Dutch squads along with Argentina, whom we have beaten. But on paper, I’d say that we were as strong as any, if not stronger than the other nations alongside Brazil."

Source: www.channel4.com

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