Chelsea wants Ronaldinho, so does Spain

Fox Sports - Chelsea are being linked with an audacious late transfer swoop for Barcelona's two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho. According to a report in The Daily Mail, the 27-year-old Brazil international midfielder's brother and adviser Roberto de Assis Moreira has held two recent meetings with Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

The second is said to have been held at the weekend, with Abramovich flying Moreira to London on his private jet and putting him up at an exclusive Mayfair hotel. With money no object, the Russian billionaire is reputedly prepared to make Ronaldinho the highest-paid player in football and smash the world's transfer record.

A £85million buyout clause is included in Ronaldinho's current contract at Barcelona, which is due to expire in 2010.However, Abramovich is reportedly desperate to inject more flair into the Blues squad and is prepared to eclipse the £47million that Real Madrid shelled out to Juventus six years ago for the services of Zinedine Zidane.

Chelsea would be unstoppable with Ronaldinho, GO BLUES!!!!

AND IN OTHER RONALDINHO NEWS....

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Barcelona's Brazil forward Ronaldinho was granted dual nationality by Spain on Monday, the Primera Liga club said. The move frees up a place for another non-European Union player in Frank Rijkaard's squad.

Mexican forward Giovanni dos Santos is set to take up the vacant slot alongside Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure in the non-EU berths permitted under Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rules.However, dos Santos is also expected to be granted dual nationality this week.Barcelona opened its league campaign with a goalless draw away to Racing Santander on Sunday.

Materazzi discloses his World Cup insult

MILAN, Italy (AP) --

Italy defender Marco Materazzi finally disclosed what he said to Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final that provoked the French star to retaliate with a head-butt. "I prefer the whore that is your sister," Materazzi wrote in his yet-to-be-released autobiography, according to Italian news reports Saturday.

Materazzi, who received a two-game ban for incitement, has since apologized to Zidane. France coach Raymond Domenech this month lauded Materazzi's strategy for getting Zidane out of the game. "I say 'bravo' to him," the coach said. (good job coach... you better be being sarcastic).

Let me just close in saying that Zidane is probably my favorite footballer of all time and the incident at the 2006 World Cup final against Italy in no way tarnishes his incredible legacy. He was indeed one of the all time greats and is truly "The Wizard".