A Skill the Kids Love to Learn - Add Ronaldinho Flair & Wow!

I had the pleasure recently of meeting a couple of players I coached over 14 years ago. Now in their mid-twenties, they still recalled with excitement their favourite skills learned at my skills academy. One, in particular, became a consistent skill used in their matches to great effect. At that time, I was calling it the Joe Cole, after the West Ham, Chelsea, and England star. It is a skill, however, that is prevalent in top club youth academies like Barcelona and Real Madrid and not associated with any one player in particular. 

For today's review, I've picked out the incredible talent of Brazil's Ronaldinho to showcase the beauty and effectiveness of the skill. When you start to review his talent across YouTube videos, it’s a smorgasbord of skills to choose from. What a joy it is watching his talent. In this case, we're focusing on the skill we call 'push pull' in the One2Pro app (module 1), which is free to watch via the app. 

The skill is used when you are stationary, faced by a defender straight on. You roll the ball quickly directly towards them, then, without taking your foot off the ball, roll it quickly back. As the ball passes your standing foot, let it roll freely back quickly before using the foot off the ground to flick the ball to the side behind your standing foot. 

In the examples below, Ronaldinho adds additional traps and touches after the move to get away from the defenders. Like I said, what a talent. 

His version of the skill can be viewed at: 

4:50 minutes and 9:39 minutes in this video collection. 

Nobody has matched Ronaldinho's magic at Barcelona 👑 

A bit about Ronaldinho 

Development from Youth to Professional 

1. Youth Career: 

   • Ronaldinho's football journey began in Grêmio’s youth academy in Porto Alegre, Brazil. His extraordinary talent with the ball became evident at an early age, especially his flair for dribbling, creativity, and technical skill. 

   • He gained national attention as a teenager when he scored 23 goals in a single game at age 13, showcasing his potential. 

   • Professional Debut: 

     • Ronaldinho made his professional debut for Grêmio in 1998 at 18 years old, where his dazzling skills and charisma quickly made him a fan favorite. 

     • His performances at Grêmio earned him a call-up to the Brazilian national team in 1999, debuting in the Copa América, where Brazil emerged as champions. 

     • Move to Europe: 

       • Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) (2001–2003): After excelling in Brazil, Ronaldinho moved to PSG, where he further developed his technical abilities and flair, gaining recognition in Europe. 

       • FC Barcelona (2003–2008): His career peaked during his time at Barcelona, where he became a global icon. His creativity, vision, and showmanship on the field earned him numerous accolades and admiration from fans worldwide. 

   Honours 

   2. Club Honours: 

      • Grêmio: 

        • Campeonato Gaúcho: 1999 

      • Barcelona: 

        • La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06 

        • UEFA Champions League: 2005–06 

        • Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006 

      • AC Milan: 

        • Serie A: 2010–11 

        • International Honours: 

          • FIFA World Cup: 2002 (Brazil) 

          • Copa América: 1999 

          • FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005 

          • Olympic Bronze Medal: 2008 (Brazil U-23) 

          • Individual Honours: 

          • FIFA World Player of the Year: 2004, 2005 

          • Ballon d'Or: 2005 

          • FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006, 2007 

          • UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2006 

          • UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2006 

        What Peers Said About Him 

        2. Lionel Messi: 

           • "Ronaldinho was responsible for the change in Barça. It was a bad time, and the change that came about with his arrival was amazing. In the first year, he didn’t win anything, but people fell in love with him. Then everything he won was spectacular." 

           • Zlatan Ibrahimović: 

           • "Ronaldinho was phenomenal. The things he did with the ball, you didn’t think were possible. He played like he was in the street but dominated against the best." 

           • Pelé: 

           • "Ronaldinho’s skill and ability to entertain made him one of the greatest footballers of all time." 

           • Frank Rijkaard (Former Barcelona Manager): 

           • "He was the leader of our team, but his leadership was through his smile and the joy he brought to the team." 

           • Pelé: 

           • "Ronaldinho’s skill and ability to entertain made him one of the greatest footballers of all time." 

           • Frank Rijkaard (Former Barcelona Manager): 

           • "He was the leader of our team, but his leadership was through his smile and the joy he brought to the team." 

One2Pro: 

The use of video with a coach review is fantastic for honing skills and performance. In our One2Pro online coaching app, "Techniques of the Stars" are broken down step-by-step for players to follow and practice. 

Download and subscribe to work with your One2Pro coach on all 92 skills. 

Be the One!  

Aaron Tighe 

Founder, One2Pro