Olympic Football: Ronaldinho at the Ricoh?

Coventry will be one of the proud hosts of the 2012 Olympic Football tournament at the City of Coventry Stadium, renamed especially for the games.

Vital Football will be looking ahead to the competition on a regular basis over the coming year and focuses on one of the star names of the world game who is keen to play at next year’s games.

A move back to Brazilian domestic football has revived the career of 31-year-old Ronaldinho, a renaissance capped by his recent recall to the national side after his days representing his country had appeared to be over.

As hosts of the next World Cup, Brazil are spared the task of qualifying through the arduous South American group and their focus is on the 2012 games as a marker for two years further down the line.

Teams in the Olympic football tournament can field three over-23 players and Ronaldinho, who has twice played in the competition before, is keen to do so again.

‘My dream is to win the gold medal in the Olympics,’ he said last week. ‘It’s a title still missing in my career.

‘I want to go step by step. Being in the Olympics will help me get to the World Cup, which is my ultimate goal.’