If you had a choice of bringing Ronaldinho to Chelsea in 2004, would you have taken it? I would have, but Jose Mourinho wouldn't and didn't. He was asked if the Brazilian was someone that he would want in the team, and he respectfully declined.
I guess he had his reasons, but having the opportunity to sign Ronaldinho and not taking it feels like daylight robbery. He is respectfully named as one of the footballing gods for a reason, alongside big names such as Pele, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario and Johan Cruyff.
The Portuguese manager had other plans which weren't so bad, but could we have saved years of Champions League pain if Mourinho had just said yes? Hard to say, but what I can say is that his reasoning would have possibly made us miss out on Eden Hazard.
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Mourinho made some iconic signings during his first tenure as Chelsea boss. He signed players like Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Petr Cech, Arjen Robben, Michael Essien, Ashley Cole, John Obi Mikel and so on. Some of these names lived on to become legends in the Chelsea fan base.
I wouldn't change them for the world, but I can't help but wonder, what if? What if Mourinho chose to go for Ronaldinho instead of Drogba?
The ex-Chelsea boss confessed that he was given the option and went for the Ivorian. "In 2004, Roman Abramovich told me he had money to bring Ronaldinho to Chelsea if I wanted to. I said, 'No, bring me Drogba. I said Ronaldinho has the skill and natural flair, but Drogba has the heart. Drogba has the skill. Drogba has the desire. I want him."
It's funny that all the skill and natural flair weren't enough to win over Mourinho. Drogba's heart is what warrants him a place in my heart as a Chelsea fan.
He gave his all for the club and absolutely hungered to be the best of the best. I would have asked for both or bought them season after the other if it was down to me. Ronaldinho did not end up leaving Barcelona until 2008 anyway. There would have been another opportunity to sign him.
There is a sort of stigma around skilful flair players. We can see their talent on the pitch, but their show of desire may seem to lack. For that reason, here's another 'what if' for you. What if it was up to Mourinho whether or not he signed Hazard back in 2012.
The Belgian is notoriously known for being that 'lazy' player in training but the man of the match on the weekends. His talent exceeded his desire, and it was evident! It's not entirely a bad thing because his talent is levels above 90% of players in world football.
He's right up there with Lionel Messi in my eyes (definitely not better, just to add). Speaking on TalkSport breakfast, Mourinho said "The truth is what you see from him. He is an amazing player with awful training. You can only imagine what he could be with a super professional attitude in training.
"In the end, he is an amazing kid. He is an incredible family man. He looks like he doesn't belong to this generation of players. He's very quiet and is totally focused on family, kids, parents, and parents a very quiet life.
"But he gets onto the pitch every morning, and he doesn't work much. When he gets onto the pitch, you don't see the reflection of a week of work, and you just see a reflection of his talent."
We will probably never know whether or not Mourinho would have gone for a Hazard if he was Chelsea's manager back then. He is very old school and appreciates those who work hard over those who have the talent but don't give that desire that he wants from his players.
I guess Hazard doesn't quite help himself. He enjoys football and takes his career seriously, but he is aware that he can do more. He's the epitome of work smart, not harder. Speaking to France Football, he said,
"I didn't just frustrate Conte. I've frustrated all my managers in my career, and now I'm frustrating Sarri. I frustrated Mourinho. They all think you need to score more, do such, and such more. I'll also frustrate the next manager I have." As a big fan of the Belgian, I can't help but chuckle.
Mourinho has a great judge of character and knows the type of player he wants. It wasn't Ronaldinho back then, and it might not have been Hazard either. He loves a Drogba, Essien, or Tammy Abraham type of player. Someone with the desire that he seeks - whatever that may be.
