Thiago Motta has praised Ronaldinho and called the playmaker a great friend.
Thiago Motta has praised Ronaldinho and called the mercurial playmaker a great friend after the gesture he made during Barcelona's victory over Getafe on Sunday.The 22-year-old was back in the squad after seven months out of action following a knee ligament injury and appeared for the last five minutes of the 2-0 win at Camp Nou.
But it was Ronaldinho's actions that made Motta most proud as the former PSG forward ran directly to him to celebrate the opening goal of the match.
"What Ronaldinho did was magnificent," sad Motta. "He is a great friend. Before the match, he said he would score the first goal for me and he did that."
The Brazilian-Italian also revealed that the reception he received from the Barca crowd was unexpected and said that he had been reliving the moment over and over in his mind.
"I could not sleep last night because I was thinking about everything that happened," he explained. "You are always thinking about making your comeback, but not what sort of reception you will get from the supporters."
Motta received a standing ovation when he entered the fray on 88 minutes, as he returned to action for the first time since September 11 last year when he injured his knee against Sevilla.
Now he could be in line for a starting place in next weekend's encounter in Malaga, as Rafael Marquez is suspended.
But Motta is cautious about whether he is physically ready to play an entire game.
"I am working my way back little by little," he said. "On Wednesday, we have a friendly and I will play for as long as I can.
"At the moment, I do not know if I could play an entire 90 minutes."
