Ronaldinho was world footballer and a club legend at Barcelona. His son is now following in his big footsteps. Despite all the popularity, the enthusiasm among the fans is still limited.
«Barcelona is a part of my life. No matter where I go, Barça is always a part of me.” With these words, Ronaldinho looked back on his impressive career and his time with the Catalans at a recent gala. But it’s no longer just regarding him, but since this week it’s much more regarding his son.
In March, 18-year-old João Mendes signed a contract with FC Barcelona, just like his dad did back then. He kindly thanked Instagram for the chance. Ronaldinho congratulated him and said that he himself will now be more often in Barcelona.
“There is no flow in his dribbles”
This Wednesday the time had come. Jorge Mendes played his first professional game for Barcelona in the U19 team. Only a few hours following the end of the game, a first highlight video of his debut might be found on social media. The clip has been viewed more than seven million times on Twitter.
Many fans are not really enthusiastic regarding the highlights. “How can you produce a highlight video without highlights?” asks one user, while others react even more harshly with their criticism: “He looks awkward on the ball. There is no flow in his dribbling.”
The video doesn’t really say much. But it’s still a bit mean to write off the young footballer for that reason. Of course, it is not easy for João Mendes to stand up to the comparison with his father. But the boy is also only 18 and only a month at Barcelona. He will certainly get some valuable tips from his father for the next games.