Ronaldinho believes Barcelona can chase down LaLiga leaders Real Madrid after his former Blaugrana team-mate Xavi restored "hope" at the club.
Barca have surged up the table after appointing Xavi as boss last November, climbing from ninth to third following a 14-game unbeaten run in the Spanish top flight, including a 4-0 Clasico thumping of Madrid,
That undefeated streak is the longest ongoing run in Europe's top-five leagues, and Barca have won six LaLiga matches in a row, keeping a clean sheet in the past three games.
Barca's next task will be a trip to Levante on Sunday as the Catalan club search for four straight wins in the competition without conceding for the first time since December 2018.
And Ronaldinho, who played with Xavi during his five-year spell at Barca between 2003 and 2008, believes the former midfielder has brought the faith back for the Blaugrana supporters.
"I have returned to take a good look at Barça with Xavi, who has returned and has brought us hope," he told Mundo Deportivo.
"As my friend and former team-mate that he is, this excites people and me too. When he played, he already had a vision of the game as a coach.
"He guided the game and I see it very well because he makes us want to watch Barca games again."
Barca evoked memories of the 2003-04 season, when they defeated Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu before making a late title charge, by demolishing Carlo Ancelotti's side on the road last month.
Xavi's team would move 12 points behind Madrid with victory at Levante, while still having a game in hand, and Ronaldinho says they can win the title.
"[The 2003-04 season win at Madrid] was a very nice comeback that we have had in our time and it can happen again," he added.
"As I said, we are excited that Barca will play well again and I think anything is possible."
Pressed on whether Barca could complete the unthinkable turnaround to steal the LaLiga title from Madrid, the Brazil great responded: "I hope so and as a fan I am hoping that things go well and I think there can be."
While uncertainty remains where the LaLiga title will be heading when the season concludes, one thing is for sure; Ronaldinho has no intentions of entering management or coaching any time soon.
"The truth is that I have never seen myself this way, it may be that in the future I will, when I have more patience," he said when asked if he would join Xavi as his assistant.
"It's difficult when you leave football and you have a way of looking at it, wanting others to do things that are very difficult for them to do. So, I still have no patience."
Scalvini out of Euro 2024, Gatti called up as replacement
Giorgio Scalvini has been ruled out of Euro 2024 for Italy after picking up an injury in Atalanta's final game of the season.
The Italian was forced off the field during the Europa League winners' 3-2 defeat to Fiorentina in Serie A on Sunday, reportedly rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.
Atalanta confirmed in a statement on Monday the defender will undergo further tests, and Luciano Spalletti announced he would not be joining the squad as planned.
Federico Gatti will instead link up with the national team as defensive cover after Francesco Acerbi was also forced to withdraw last week.
The Juventus man has made three appearances for the Azzurri, most recently in November against North Macedonia.
Mbappe not included in Henry's preliminary Olympics squad
Kylian Mbappe has been left out of France's 25-man preliminary Olympics squad ahead of the Games in Paris starting next month.
Thierry Henry, who is the coach of Les Bleus' under-23 side, did not include the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who is expected to complete a move to Real Madrid in the coming days following Los Blancos' 15th Champions League success.
The 46-year-old has until July 3 to confirm his final 22-player list ahead of group-stage fixtures against the United States on July 24, Guinea on July 27 and New Zealand on July 30.
Henry has revealed he faced plenty of difficulties when selecting his squad, with several clubs refusing to release their players for the tournament.
Because the football event at the Olympics is not formally recognised by FIFA, clubs are not obliged to release their players for the competition, which begins on July 24 and ends on August 9.
"Real Madrid were really straightforward about the Olympics," Henry said when quizzed about Mbappe's omission from the squad.
"The last time I received so many rejections was at the university. There have not even been negotiations. You go, you ask, they say no, and you leave."
Henry was able to include several talented stars from across European football, including Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel and PSG's Warren Zaire-Emery were among the other high-profile inclusions.
However, Chelsea stars Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile were refused release from Stamford Bridge, but the Blues were able to offer midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu.
Asked if he was disappointed by the decisions made by Premier League clubs, Henry replied: "I will respond to this one very, very clearly – it's not the time for me to talk about that, firstly.
"Secondly, am I disappointed or surprised? No. Neither disappointed nor surprised, the clubs are within their rights, unfortunately, and I think what I have been saying hasn't changed since I started talking about the Olympics."
Les Bleus have previously won two medals at the Olympic Games, taking silver on home soil in Paris back in 1900 and gold at Los Angeles in 1984.
The rules of the competition state that each team must be made up of players born on or after January 1, 2001 (aged 23 at the time of the Games). However, three players born before that date can also be included.
Attention will follow me to Fenerbahce - Mourinho
Jose Mourinho believes his move to Fenerbahce will draw more attention to the Turkish Super Lig.
On Sunday, the 61-year-old was announced as Fenerbahce's new head coach on a two-year deal, his first job since being dismissed by Roma in January.
Turkey is the fifth different nation in which Mourinho has managed, having previously enjoyed stints at Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham, winning a combined total of eight domestic titles and two Champions Leagues.
Speaking at his first Fenerbahce press conference, Mourinho admitted he expected more people to pay attention to the club now he is in charge.
"One of the things is, I bring attention in with me. More people in Europe will follow the Turkish league," he said.
"I'm coming to work for Turkish football, for Turkish Super Lig. But fundamentally I come for Fenerbahce.
"When people look at me -- I did six finals, I won five of them -- people think immediately big, but I think we have to go step by step."
Fenerbahce finished runners-up in the Turkish Super Lig last season on 99, behind Galatasaray, extending their 10-year wait for a top-flight trophy.
Mourinho has won silverware at all but one of his clubs, only failing to get his hands on a trophy at Spurs.
The Portuguese icon has urged the Fenerbahce fans to push the side to end that wait for a league title.
"I make zero promises [to the Fenerbahce fans] but [promise] a huge commitment, passion, work, empathy in relation to them," he added.
"The way to express that is the way we are going to work. This shirt is going to be my skin, it's an expression that defines my mentality and that I want everyone at the club to have. The main dream is to win the Turkish Super Lig.
"For me, Fenerbahce means ambition.
"The fans don't need to be patient, they need to be mad, they have to be demanding. If the players cannot deal with that pressure, they don't belong at Fenerbahce.
"I want that passion. I want the players to trust me, to know that I am very honest, very direct, sometimes not the nicest guy, but always honest with them."
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