Ronaldinho is a free agent again and the calls have come in thick and fast to secure the services of the Brazillian veteran. Outside90 Senior Editor Domenic Favata argues to the contrary.
It is time to rethink the A-League marquee.
Conflicting to many reports which suggest luring Ronaldinho would be beneficial to the league, he is merely an expensive commodity we do not need anymore.
The Brazilian World Cup winner has been released from his contract with Mexican club Queretaro and is now a free agent after an erratic spell with the club.
Eight goals in 25 appearances was the return for the former Ballon d’Or winner, and you could make the case that he would do even better in Australia given the A-League is of a lower standard than the Mexican Liga MX.
Naturally, football pundits (below) in Australia get on the front foot in demanding we chase the 35-year-old’s signature – the kind of reactionary calls the league does not need.
Is @10Ronaldinho on his way to the @ALeague? http://t.co/b1XdxzlQ14 #ALeague #Ronaldinho pic.twitter.com/mmNh30hGgn
— Sportal (@SportalAU) June 21, 2015
Many football followers in Australia would agree that the quality of football has never been better, and with the league now 10 years in existence, there is a solid platform for exponential growth.
We are a unique competition – unlike many leagues around the world we have a salary cap in place which aims to ensure equality among the 10 teams. While many are calling for a revamp of the cap, which is warranted given the maturity of the league, it has been a crucial factor in seeing the A-League live to a 10th season.
The A-League has outgrown the marquee signing. As good as it would be to see Ronaldinho or even Andrea Pirlo gracing the league, we have reached a point where it is no longer necessary to spend excessive amounts of money on players in the twilight of their careers.
Two or three years ago you could make the case that the marquees were still beneficial, with Alessandro Del Piero a working example of that.
While big name signings bring the people through the gates, sell merchandise and memberships for the short-term, A-League clubs have matured to a point where now only winning football matches will result in a loyal fan base. And Sydney FC’s notoriously fickle fan base is the result.
Melbourne Victory are the perfect example.
Perhaps boasting the only truly loyal fan base in the league, the resounding success of the club since day one of existence has meant a faithful supporter base that turns up week win week out, win, lose or draw. Despite a few speed bumps along the way with active support measures, the club continually attracts 20,000 plus to its matches on a regular basis, simply because it wins football matches.
Wins keeps the fans happy. The parents are happy because it is a return on their investment (memberships). The kids are happy because their team is winning and their favourite players are scoring goals. The kind of generational support which is the foundation for a growing long-term supporter base.
The Victory’s ‘marquee’ players: Besart Berisha, Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Gui Finkler, Matthieu Delpierre and Daniel Georgievksi – all five were in the starting lineup in their 2014-15 A-League Grand Final triumph and are all still playing at the top of their game.
These are the kind of marquees clubs should be chasing. Experienced internationals still plying their trade as very good footballers, and not just evergreen stars who are looking for a quickfire paycheque to add to their retirement plans.
Marc Janko, Milos Dimitrijević, Nikola Petković, Jacques Faty, Mickaël Tavares, Andy Keogh, Nebojša Marinković, Marcelo Carrusca, Sergio Cirio, Miguel Palanca, Isaías, Pablo Sánchez, Thomas Broich, Harry Novillo, Roy Krishna, Roly Bonevacia, Albert Riera, Mateo Poljak – these are the kind of marquees that were on A-League club rosters last season and are exactly the kind of talent we should be chasing.
Most of these players may be pushing 30 years of age but all of them are still playing high quality football at the highest level. Janko was the captain of the Austrian national team and set the league alight with his goalscoring nous, Bonevacia was the conductor for Wellington Phonenix when they were on song and the Spanish quadrant of Cirio, Isias, Palanca and Carrusca at Adelaide United have added a new dimension of football to the league with their flamboyant passing style.
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These are the kind of players that contribute to teams winning games. The kind of signings that will take the league forward.
As good as it would be have a song and dance about Ronaldinho coming to the A-League, it is not what we need anymore.
The training wheels are off. We have grown up.
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