Football
ESPN staff 9y

Ronaldinho joins Brazilian club Fluminense

Two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho has signed with Brazilian side Fluminense.

The former World Cup, Champions League and Copa Libertadores winner had been in advanced negotiations with the Rio de Janeiro club for the past week, and announced the move via his Twitter account on Saturday. The club confirmed the accord soon after.

Official details of the deal with were not immediately available, but local media said Ronaldinho will earn a monthly salary of about 600,000 reals ($190,000), plus bonuses from the sales of jerseys and other club products.

The 35-year-old midfielder was released from his contract with Mexican side Queretaro last month, and was reportedly close to signing with fellow Rio club Vasco da Gama before a deal broke down.

The move to Laranjeiras will be the former Gremio, PSG, Barcelona and AC Milan man's second passage in the city.

He previously spent a tumultuous spell with Fluminense's eternal rivals Flamengo between 2011 and 2012 then left for Belo Horizonte's Atletico Mineiro, whom he helped to a Copa Libertadores crown in 2012, before signing with the Mexican side in September of last year.

Ronaldinho said he wants to try to win the Brazilian league, which is one of the few tournaments he still hasn't won in his career.

"It was one of the things that motivated me to return to Brazil, to try to win a trophy that I still don't have," he said.

At Flu, Ronaldinho will join former Brazil striker Fred, who struggled in last year's World Cup but remains one of the club's top players, as well as highly-regarded youngsters Gerson and Marlon.

Ronaldinho will be officially introduced to fans before Fluminense's July 19 match against Vasco at the Maracana Stadium, but he will only begin training on July 27.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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