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Brazil's national team and Barcelona's defender Ronaldinho has accepted criticism regarding his form this season and stated that he aims to show better results next year.
"I can give more. This year I scored more goals, but my game lacked consistency," Ronaldinho admitted at a press conference held on Thursday, not hiding his dissatisfaction with the quality of his game.
"Hard moments teach us a lot. Players live in the present, but they have to prove that they deserve to play in this club every day," the Brazilian affirmed.
Already having scored 18 goals in the Spanish championship, the player who became the World Champion in 2002 has faced plenty of criticism from the local media due to his physical condition, missing training sessions, and inconsistency.
The team's elimination from the King's Cup semifinals and the subsequent draw against the Betis team, which caused them to drop to second place in the "Primera" league, sparked anger among fans.
The final stage of the World Cup and Barcelona's preseason trip to the USA last summer are considered to be the main reasons for the drop in form of the club's key players.
As a result, Ronaldinho requested the Brazilian national team leadership not to include him in the squad that will participate in the Copa America starting in June.
"I spoke to the Brazilian Football Confederation and explained that I need to rest in order to regain proper physical condition for next season," the footballer explained. "These years have been very tough. I didn't have the opportunity to prepare for the season with my teammates. It worked against me, and I don't want to repeat the same mistake."
Nevertheless, the national team coach, Dunga, expressed his desire to see Ronaldinho and Kaka, the defender from Milan who also wants to rest this off-season, in the squad for the friendly matches against the national teams of England and Turkey next month, adding that he understands their wishes.
The coach included both footballers in the list of 22 players for the upcoming games.
Ronaldinho also reiterated his desire to stay in the current team and denied rumors about a possible move to AC Milan: "I don't think about anything else but Barcelona. I have always said that I am happy here."
