Barcelona legend Ronaldinho talks Xavi, Messi and Raphinha | OneFootball

Barcelona legend Ronaldinho was recently awarded the Legend Trophy at the Mundo Deportivo gala by club president Joan Laporta.

Speaking at the event, the former Barcelona superstar offered his thoughts on his ex-teammate and current manager Xavi Hernandez, backing the Spaniard to succeed as the head coach of Barça.

“It is not easy to win titles, but I see it very well and I hope that soon I will make history at the club,” he said (h/t Diario SPORT). “Xavi is my friend, he is there. Let’s hope things continue to go well and he can win the title.”

Barcelona are currently leading the league table with an eight-point advantage over second-placed Real Madrid. They were able to extend their lead this past weekend thanks to Real Madrid’s shocking defeat to RCD Mallorca.

Ronaldinho also highlighted the role of Raphinha in the Barcelona squad and backed the Brazilian to succeed at Camp Nou.

“He is a great player. I know him well, since he was little. I am sure that things will turn out well for him at Barça from now on,” he said.

Since joining from Leeds United in the summer, Raphinha has endured a slow start to his career at Barça. This made way for speculation over his long-term future at the club during the January transfer window.

But the forward has starred in recent wins over Real Betis and Sevilla and has stepped up to the plate, following Ousmane Dembele’s injury.

Meanwhile, Ronaldinho went on to praise another Barcelona legend Lionel Messi for his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also expressed his disappointment at seeing the Argentine play for any club other than the Blaugrana.

“Very happy for his victory in the World Cup. He was missing that. The truth is that nobody imagined him outside of Barça, but things happen in football. Now he must continue,” the Brazilian legend added.

Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona for quite some time now. But it appears the 35-year-old is in talks with PSG over a contract extension, which could seal his future at Parc des Princes at least until 2024.