Ten Cate hails Ronaldinho as the greatest, but flags one flaw

Former Dutch coach Henk ten Cate, now 71, told VP’s Willem & Wessel that Ronaldinho is the best player he has ever seen, adding that the Brazilian’s only shortcoming was not living solely for football. He also praised Ronaldinho’s love of life beyond the pitch.

Ten Cate acknowledges the challenge of ranking players across eras. He says that direct comparisons are rarely fair.

During his tenure at FC Barcelona, Ten Cate worked alongside the Brazilian attacker. Their time together gave him a firsthand view of Ronaldinho’s abilities.

Ten Cate states, "I have not seen a better player." He continues, "Ronaldinho had one disadvantage and that was that he did not live for football. He enjoyed life in all respects, but I have never seen players do things that he did. It is a personal feeling."

The interview appears in the latest edition of VP’s Willem & Wessel. The magazine also features stories on Oranje, Morocco and FC Barcelona.

His remarks add another perspective to the ongoing debate over football’s all‑time greats. Readers can expect further insights from Ten Cate in upcoming issues.