Ronaldinho: Private Issues Led To Poor Barcelona Form

The former World Player of the Year has been discussing the reasons behind his below par performances for the Blaugrana last season.

he Brazilian superstar has found a new lease of life at his new club Milan, where he is an integral part of their Serie A title challenge.

But some of his displays for Barcelona last season led to speculation that the 28-year old no longer had the drive to perform consistently at the highest level.

However, 'Ronnie' has spoken out about his final months at the Camp Nou, and insists his dip in form occurred as a result of personal problems off the pitch.

He told Italian publication Corriere della Sera, "Many thought I was in decline and that I would never come back to my best level, but the truth is that at the beginning of this year I had an accident that created many problems."

The attacking midfielder, who scored 70 goals in 145 games for Barcelona in his five years at the club, refused to go into further details regarding the nature of the problems, but made it clear that the snipers who had criticised him at the time left an indelible mark on his confidence.

He added, "They said and published many things that were hurtful to me. I wanted to prove to them that I am not finished."

With Ronaldinho as their top scorer so far this season, Milan lie in second position in the Serie A table, while Barcelona are riding high at the summit of the Primera Division.