THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER in the world has an urgent problem to address. Ronaldinho may have been able to place the Fifa world player of the year trophy next to the World Cup winner's medal on his mantlepiece, but there is still a large gap in the space reserved for the biggest club prizes.

In Barcelona, the European Cup final- before-the-final is the talk of the town. Sports papers dedicate almost 20 pages per day just for Barca, and Chelsea also receive lots of attention, with stories about José Mourinho, Roman Abramovich, Stamford Bridge, the fans and the pubs.

It is hard to go into a bar without spotting a newspaper headline or hearing something about the match between the two best teams in Europe this season. “You wake up in the morning and people are already saying ‘Chelsea, you have to beat Chelsea' ,” Ronaldinho said. “It would be a classico , so the whole routine in the city changes. We are living it 100 per cent.”

One of Mourinho's many memorable quotes this season was when he described a defensively minded Tottenham Hotspur team as having parked a bus in front of goal. That is exactly what the Barcelona No 10 expects to see on Wednesday.

“All teams who come here close themselves and resort to counter-attacks because we play offensively all the time and they know our qualities,” he said. “Chelsea would use their strong marking, which is the style of football liked by Mourinho.”

Ronaldinho enjoys parading his skills in the relaxed atmosphere of charity and exhibition matches but he is, above all, a real competitor: “The fact that Chelsea have a good defence, one of the best in Europe, gives us more motivation. We want to play against the best and to win against them to show we are in a good moment.”

John Terry and Frank Lampard were not in Japan when Ronaldinho ruined England's 2002 World Cup with a goal and an assist, but he has met most of his Chelsea opponents while on international duty. He followed Didier Drogba's progress at Marseilles during his two years in France with Paris Saint-Germain and reveals a human side when reflecting on the absence of Arjen Robben.

“He is a player with an important role in their team. He is the creator, gives the final pass, the assists. But I also regret because it is one of our fellow professionals who is injured.”

Also in Chelsea's way will be Deco, who is on form after scoring both goals in Barca's victory over Mallorca at the weekend. The playmaker will be a key figure because of his experience with Mourinho at Porto. “He (Mourinho) had a big influence on me,” Deco said. “Chelsea have a strong team, great players and money to buy them. It is obvious he has a big responsibility there.”

Deco, who is 27, is the only player at Barcelona with a European Cup winner's medal. “To win a Champions League depends on many things,” he said. “You need first a great team, to be concentrated — a goal conceded at home can decide a tie and deep down you also need a bit of luck.”

Ronaldinho is aware of the importance of Deco's contribution. “Deco is outstanding, gives rhythm to our team, has an excellent pass and can always decide a match. He is also a leader off the pitch — a player who talks a lot with the others. He is very important for us.”

Ronaldinho is aware that speculation will always link him with English clubs, but he has no doubt that he made the right move in choosing Spain and Barcelona. “If I had gone to England, I would have had to adapt to a different culture, another language, everything would have taken longer. Here it all happened quickly and I am following the steps of Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo — now I am the next one.”