Barcelona legend Rivaldo spoke about his years with the club and how he could’ve ended up being a controversial figure.
The Brazilian forward Rivaldo made headlines back in 2002 as he completed a free transfer to AC Milan. Having just won a World Cup with Brazil in Japan, the Rossoneri had high hopes for the player. However, there was a clear lack of space in a team that included Shevchenko, Pirlo, Seedorf, and Rui Costa. After Kaka’s arrival in his second season, Rivaldo left Italy with the title of Worst Serie A player.
Currently retired, Rivaldo spoke to Spanish news outlet AS about how different his future could have been if he had signed for Real Madrid instead. The Merengues had taken an interest in him in the summer of 2002. However, they failed to match AC Milan’s offer and ended up signing fellow countryman Ronaldo Nazario.
“If I had been up top with Ronaldo at Real Madrid, we would have been a fearsome duo,” said the Brazilian.
“We already showed it when we played with Brazil. To have more time to develop that chemistry we had at the club level would have made us even more lethal. Defenses would have feared us, no matter which team we played for.”
Rivaldo admitted that although Barcelona is his favorite team in Europe, that wouldn’t have stopped him from making the move. Moreover, he speculated on what the fans’ reaction could have been.
“I would never have turned down Real Madrid just because I played for Barcelona, even though I have a great relationship with Barcelona and they will always be my club in Europe.”
“I know perfectly well if I had signed for Real Madrid, it would have been a similar case to Figo’s. But in the end, it didn’t happen.”
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