Yaya Touré tells it as if he still can’t believe it. In Barcelona training sessions, Ronaldinho would warn him before taking him on: if you get too close, all you’ll get is a nutmeg.
“Ronaldinho was so good that he would tell you what he was going to do—and then do it. He’d beat you with skill and a smile”, said Yaya Touré, recalling old times.
Touré, a physical midfielder accustomed to winning duels through strength, would still take him on. And he would still fall for it, time and again. Neither power nor tight marking mattered: the Brazilian responded with a smile and pure magic.
That Barcelona had everything: warriors for the physical battles, like Touré and Abidal, and artists for moments of brilliance, like Xavi, Messi, and Ronaldinho himself.
But only he dared to announce the move out loud and carry it out in front of everyone, training session after training session. A golden era that Touré still remembers as an unrepeatable privilege.