I Am Jose

José's question left Ronaldinho deep in thought, to the point where he didn't even notice José's departure. He was lost in his own contemplation.

Ronaldinho began his career as a forward. At the time, Ronaldo was at the peak of his career, and due to Ronaldinho's natural talent, his similar crooked teeth, and his name, not playing as a forward would have been a wasted opportunity for someone with the title "Little Ronaldo."

He indeed performed exceptionally as a forward, whether it was being the top scorer in the Confederations Cup or his performances in the U-20 World Cup, the Copa América, Olympic qualifiers, or the Brazilian domestic leagues. His goal-scoring rate was impressive, and he was a competent forward. However, during the Olympics, Ronaldinho began to realize that being a pure forward wasn't the best fit for him. His skill set made him more suitable as a second striker or even as a player lurking behind one or two powerful center-forwards, taking advantage of his late runs and his playmaking abilities. He played in many positions over the years—second striker, attacking midfielder, wing forward, even left-wing in a three-forward system—and he was effective in all of them. However, the constant positional changes greatly affected his consistency and performance.

When he joined Mallorca, Ronaldinho believed that he would either replace the soon-to-depart Stankovic as a left-winger or play as a forward. He had no issues with either position. If he partnered with Delgado in the attack, he would have support, and Mallorca's style of play, blending wing and central attacking movements, was exactly what he enjoyed.

Yet, José's question about his favorite position threw him off. It was rare for coaches to ask players such a question, especially a newcomer. However, José's sincere inquiry made him think deeply about the matter. The more he thought, the more confused he became, because he felt that he had done well in all those positions. Although playing as a forward was prestigious, Ronaldinho wasn't the type of player who only enjoyed scoring goals. He found joy in assisting teammates, even without scoring himself.

After signing with Mallorca, his brother Assis returned to Brazil. Ronaldinho's family situation was difficult after his father's passing. It was only after becoming a professional footballer that things began to improve. Although his salary had doubled after signing with Mallorca, it still wasn't enough for the whole family to relocate to Spain.

Since he was eight years old, Ronaldinho had seen his brother as a father figure. After their father passed away, it was his brother who supported the family. Whenever he faced challenges, he consulted Assis, who strictly imposed rules on him, such as forbidding him from drinking, going to nightclubs, or chasing after women. These rules were instrumental in Ronaldinho's success in the years to come.

Now that Assis wasn't around, Ronaldinho had to deal with these struggles alone.

As Ronaldinho was lost in thought, José had already finished his team's training session, leaving it to Natal to handle, while he himself flew to Madrid.