Ronaldinho selects AC Milan number

Milan’s new recruit Ronaldinho has chosen his squad number for the coming season and it’s a surprising selection.

The former FIFA World Player of the Year completed a switch from Barcelona last week and has been given the warmest of receptions at San Siro.

Dinho wore the No 10 shirt at Barcelona, where he secured the Champions League title, but at Milan that number is occupied by Clarence Seedorf.

The 28-year-old refused the No 11 shirt that Alberto Gilardino has vacated after leaving for Fiorentina.

Instead, Ronaldinho has gone for the No 80 shirt to represent the year that he was born – 1980.

The demand for Ronaldinho replica shirts is overwhelming and the Diavolo are expecting record sales of personalised shirts.

Pato: With Ronaldinho we can win it all

Alexandre Pato trusts with Ronaldinho by his side he can win the Olympics, Scudetto and UEFA Cup.

The Milan starlet will be in Beijing with his new club teammate next month for Brazil’s Olympic squad and believes it’ll be the start of a beautiful partnership.

“With this team, we can win it all. Kaka and Ronaldinho are both very important for Milan, but they play different roles,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Ronaldinho tends to spread out wide more and if Kaka does too, then they’ll both give me the ball in the centre to score. Easy, eh?”

The Selecao trio has sparked a wave of enthusiasm with more than 10,000 season tickets sold since Dinho’s £18m move from Barcelona was confirmed.

“I am ready to train up as a centre-forward. If Carlo Ancelotti sees me in this role, then that is not a problem for me,” continued Pato.

“I am young and want to learn many things, the secrets of the sport. I scored nine goals in half a Serie A season, but I know I can do more. Much more.”

It will be his first full campaign with the Rossoneri, as due to age restrictions he could not sign the contract until he had turned 18.

“The most difficult thing to face was tactical, as in Brazil I was accustomed to running forward and waiting for the long ball from a teammate.

“Ancelotti asked for a different movement, as I have to go towards the ball and then run into space. It took me a while, but I’ve got it now.

“I am happy the way my first Italian season went, but Milan were unable to qualify for the Champions League and that made me very angry. Now I want to help my team get back into the competition.”

Now Pato will have the support of Kaka and Ronaldinho, he pledges to bring a Selecao sensation to San Siro.

“I haven’t changed, but I have grown up and learned what it means to play football in Italy. I can guarantee I’ll improve. You haven’t seen the real Pato yet.”

SuperPippo: No Foreigners!

Filippo Inzaghi has told Milan not to sign any foreign strikers this summer because the Italians they have at their disposal are already good enough.

The Rossoneri have had a miserable season, having crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16, and struggling in fifth position in Serie A.

This summer the club is expected to splash out on a top-class centre forward, and a whole host of overseas stars have been linked, including Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor, Dimitar Berbatov and Mario Gomez.

Inzaghi however has called on the Milan hierarchy not to sign any foreigners.

“In my opinion, all that will be sufficient for Milan in the summer is a few modifications,” he said.

“You do not need to make any revolution, much less with regards to the attack.

“Here at Milan we have Pato, Gilardino and Paloschi who are guaranteed. Borriello is doing so well at Genoa, and who I would not hesitate in recalling. He is strong, powerful, and has grown very well this season.

“I repeat: I do not want any foreign bombers. At home Milan already have players stronger than many others, they just need to be given confidence.”

Pato: Stop Comparing Me With Ronaldo & Pele

Alexandre Pato says it will be a special moment when he makes his debut for Brazil tomorrow night, but he has called for an end to the comparisons with Ronaldo and Pele.

Pato has had a stunning start to his career in Italy, having scored seven times in just 13 Serie A appearances since his Milan bow in January.

This fine form has earned him a call-up to the Brazil squad, and he is set to make his debut in tomorrow’s friendly against Sweden at the Emirates Stadium in London.

"This is a special moment,” Pato enthused.

“The Seleçao is the dream for any Brazilian boy who begins to play with the ball.”

The 18-year-old has been described by some as the ‘new Fenomeno’, in reference to Ronaldo, however it is a tag Pato dislikes.

“Leave aside words like phenomenon,” he said.

“I still have everything to prove.”

This is not the only comparison that Pato has been afforded. Fifty years ago in the 1958 World Cup final, a teenager named Pele burst onto the world scene with a sensational display against hosts Sweden.

With Brazil set to play Sweden tomorrow night, inevitable links have been drawn.

"Pelè is the history of football. But let's leave the comparisons, is it possible?.” Pato said once again.

Zapata weighs up options

Udinese defender Cristian Zapata’s agent insists a host of clubs are chasing the Colombian’s signature, but he's in no rush to leave the Zebrette.

At the tender age of 21, Zapata has already played nearly 100 games for Udinese and is seen as one of Serie A’s brightest defensive prospects.

Juventus reportedly had advances rebuffed last summer, but it seems that the Old Lady is just one of a number of suitors.

It’s natural that a player with Zapata’s characteristics is appealing - it would be worrying if there weren’t any approaches,” agent Daniel Vidal told Udineseblog.it.

“Therefore it’s not a mystery that clubs like Milan, Juventus and even Roma have shown an interest. The new name perhaps is Arsenal, but English clubs usually look around a lot.”

While it is widely seen as inevitable that Zapata will leave Udine for a bigger club this summer, Vidal doesn’t think his client’s future definitely lies away from the Stadio Friuli.

“He has never thought about leaving Udine where he loves life,” he stated. “The city and the club are perfectly on his wavelength.

“I think that Udinese would also be very happy to have him stay and there have been no concrete talks.

“But it’s hard to say what will happen in March, especially with a player who was listed in The Times’ 50 most wanted in the world.”