Ronaldinho's Spanish citizenship approval reduces number of FC Barcelona's foreign players and makes way for more.


After signing at the civil registry in Gava near Barcelona, as Ronaldinho de Asis Moreira, the FC Barcelona midfielder fulfilled all requirements for obatining an EU passport by becoming a dual citizen of Spain along with native country Brazil. With the legal help from lawyers Jorge Pecourt and Eduardo Montejo, from Cuatrecasas Abogados and Barca's judicial services, the process was successfully completed.
Ronaldinho now leaves vacant, one space for non-EU players at the Blaugrana, which Mexican starlet, Giovanni Dos Santos will now freely occupy and will thus feature in Barca's mathces without having to contravene European soccer rules that forbids more than three non-EU players from featuring at a given time in their clubs. However, Giovanni himself is also due for an EU passport later this week, but will still appear for FC Barcelona's La Liga game against Athletic irrespective.

Two West Africans, La Cote'd Ivoire's defender Toure Yaya and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o occupy the othet two non-EU spots at Camp Nou.