What’s the story?
Brazilian and former Blaugrana legend Rivaldo has signed for FC Barcelona’s Legends project. The player will now represent his old club in exhibition matches around the world to promote the club worldwide.
"I'm very happy whenever I'm at the Camp Nou," Rivaldo said. "The five seasons I spent here were historic. It is a club that will always be in my heart and I am always at their disposal."
In case you didn’t know...
Rivaldo spent five seasons at Barcelona from 1997-2002 where he scored 80 goals in 146 games for the Catalan club, winning two back-to-back La Liga titles in 97/98 and 98/99. He also scored 35 goals in 74 appearances for his country, and in the process, lifted the World Cup at the 2002 tournament in Korea and Japan.
The heart of the matter
The Brazilian legend met with Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, vice president Jordi Mestre, and board members Silvio Elias and Pau Vilanova earlier this week to reach an agreement regarding his contract, but, of course, he will not be part of Luis Enrique’s squad.
He will now represent his old club Barcelona at various international exhibition matches and tournaments to promote the club brand worldwide as part of the FC Barcelona Legends project.
A statement on the Barcelona website during the launch of the campaign last year read, “FC Barcelona and the Agrupació Barça Jugadors (ABJ - Barça Players Group) presented a new programme called FCB Legends, the idea of which is to honour the players that have worn the famous jersey in the past. The project is all about joining forces to help globalise the Barça brand and its values, and to continue the involvement of former players in the club after their playing careers have ended.”
What’s next?
The now 44-year-old will play games around the world to promote his old club’s brand in different countries and will also act as a recognisable face for the Barcelona brand around the world.
A statement, more recently on the Barcelona website, further cited: “During the meeting, the possibility of the player participating more frequently in the FCB Legends project was discussed, which is a team of former players who, through their matches around the world, contribute to the task of globalising the Barça brand and its values.”
Sportskeeda’s take
This is a great move by the Catalan side, who are one of the biggest clubs in the world. They are preserving their rich history and at the same time, honouring and giving their ex-players a livelihood after their playing days.
It is a thoughtful move by the Spanish giants to keep close ties with their former players, who have now become legends at the club. This will also help in globalising the Barcelona brand with a number of football fans flocking to see these retired legends of the game play.
