GOAL

Cruzeiro announced on Friday it had signed a formal contract with 14-year-old striker João Mendes for the Under-14 team. Generally, the agreement with such a young prospect does not receive much publicity, but in this case there is an extra reason: the young man is the son of Ronaldinho Gaúcho.

"It was the team that opened the doors for me. I have a great affection for the club," he told the Cruzeiro website.

According to Cruzeiro, the striker passed a trial without knowing he was the son of Ronaldinho. Only after he joined the youth academy was the relationship with the Barcelona idol discovered.

"He is a player who has a good physical size, a technical quality, a player who can play both as an area player and as a second striker.It is a player who, even with the big size, has speed and finishes a lot well, "said Amarildo Ribeiro, director of grassroots football.