Ronaldinho 'to come out of retirement' for Chapecoense
Football legends Ronaldinho and Juan Roman Riquelme are reportedly considering coming out of retirement to help devastated Brazilian club Chapecoense.
Chapecoense lost 19 players, as well as a number of officials, in a plane crash in Colombia on Tuesday.
But despite the tragedy, the club may still be required to take the field in coming weeks.
Multiple reports from South America have suggested Brazilian legend Ronaldinho and former Argentina international Riquelme have offered their services for free.
Ronaldinho's agent and brother, Roberto Assis, confirmed the two-time World Player of the Year will do all he can to help the club but said no talks had taken place yet.
"It is a very difficult time," Assis told Globo Esporte. "Later on, if there is a contact, we can talk.
"I can only say that we are here and we want to help.
"He (Ronaldinho) fits the profile, can be the right guy. But the moment is to help families and it would be (wrong) to create expectations for now. As Brazilians, we feel involved. We are together."
The president of Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro says the team will not play a final-round match of the Brazilian league season against Chapecoense.
Chapecoense's acting president said earlier in the week that the head of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Marco Polo Del Nero, had ordered Chapecoense to play their final match using a team made up mostly of junior players.
Atletico Mineiro president Daniel Nepomuceno says "we believe in sport. We respect the pain. It's not the moment to demand that players play this match."
The CBF has called for seven days of mourning. The final round of top league matches in Brazil is set for December 11.
with AAP
