Real Madrid rejected Ronaldinho because he was 'ugly'... 10 years ago Barcelona's Brazilian star proved beauty is skin deep when Bernabeu gave him standing ovation

• Real Madrid turned down Ronaldinho in turn of David Beckham in 2003 
• Barcelona snapped up the Brazilian star instead, and he became a legend 
• Ronaldinho was applauded by the home crowd in November 2005
• After a stunning second goal, the Brazilian prompted a standing ovation 
• There is a fear in Madrid that Rafa Benitez's side may suffer similar fate

By Rik Sharma For Mailonline

Published: 08:37 EST, 20 November 2015 | Updated: 06:27 EST, 21 November 2015

The thinking at Real Madrid was that Ronaldinho was 'too ugly' to be one of their galacticos. Perhaps they were right—they signed David Beckham instead, recently elected the world's sexiest man. 

Yet, the decision was anything but correct.

An associate of Florentino Perez, high up at Real Madrid, told El Pais that there was no point buying Ronaldinho because he was 'so ugly that he'd sink you as a brand'.

Madrid moved for Beckham and they got the shirt sales, the Asian markets, the image they were cultivating. Barcelona fought off Manchester United's overtures for Ronaldinho and signed him in the summer of 2003. And two years later he sank Madrid anyway - on the pitch, not the stock exchange.

Ronaldinho celebrates his second goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in November 2005

The Brazilian star was not signed by Los Blancos in 2003 because he was deemed 'too ugly' for the brand

It should be noted that Barcelona weren't geniuses who had foreseen what an impact Ronaldinho might have. After all they were trying to sign Beckham too, but in the end settled for the Paris Saint-Germain man after Madrid seduced the Englishman.

In 2005-06 Barcelona walloped the capital club in the league table, finishing an astonishing 12 points clear and romping to their 18th title.

The one, standout moment of their season came at the Santiago Bernabeu, a fraction over 10 years ago now.

It was November 19, 2005, a date which Ronaldinho and Barcelona supporters will never forget.

Barcelona's dominance over Madrid in La Liga was not new - powered by Ronaldinho they had won the title the season before, but that included a defeat at the Bernabeu.

Now the Brazilian had really hit his stride, it was time to do some damage on Madrid's own turf, to really go for the jugular and embarrass Los Blancos. It appealed to his sense of fun.

Ronaldinho started the game alongside Samuel Eto'o, another player who had unfinished business with Real Madrid, having been told he wasn't good enough to stay with them.

There is enough to the Eto'o story to write a separate account, but here we will limit his contribution to the game's opening goal, finished after some good work from an 18-year-old Lionel Messi.

Ronaldinho leaves Michel Salgado trailing in his wake as he dismantled the Real Madrid side

Samuel Eto'o, rejected by Real Madrid in his younger days, celebrates a Barcelona dominated 

The Argentine was making his Clasico debut and there would almost be enough to write a book about his clashes with Madrid, but the star of the show on this date was Ronaldinho.

After Eto'o's first half goal, and a celebration which took aim at Perez for allowing him to leave Madrid, Ronaldinho turned his silky play and skills, which had allowed Barcelona to control the game, into something tangible.

Brazilian duo Ronaldo and Robinho were used to having things their own way at the Santiago Bernabeu, but both had to sit back and applaud, figuratively, as their compatriot in Blaugrana pulled the strings. Madrid's fans eventually applauded, literally.

With Beckham and Zinedine Zidane unable to keep the ball in midfield, Barcelona launched into several attacks, with Sergio Ramos, 19, feeling the heat in his own Clasico debut.

Just before the hour mark, Ronaldinho took the ball up from near the half-way line, out on the left. Striding forward with purpose, Madrid's defence trembled with fear.

He left Ramos, who lunged in, down on the turf, and not for the first time that day, before entering the area in a blur. Ivan Helguera did not have the first clue how to stop him and you could see the cogs in his brain still turning as Ronaldinho glided past him.

Sergio Ramos, making his first Clasico appearance, was left for dead by the brilliant Ronaldinho

The Brazilian gave Ramos a torrid time as the youngster looked to start his Real Madrid career

Roberto Carlos flew across to try and block Ronaldinho but before he even got close to the Barcelona man the ball was nestled in the back of Iker Casillas' net.

A little over 15 minutes later, he did it again.

Taking up the ball on the left again, he strode past Ramos without breaking a sweat, before stroking the ball across Casillas and into the far corner, to seal Barcelona's win.

The Spanish goalkeeper shook his head, almost as if to say there was no point even trying to stop Ronaldinho.

And then a strange thing happened. A few Madrid fans started to applaud Ronaldinho. And then a few more. And then a few more. Large pockets of supporters clapped the Brazilian star, something virtually unthinkable in a derby with as much bile and blood in it as El Clasico.

It was partly to celebrate Ronaldinho's undoubted greatness, and partly to send a message to their president. Ugly or not, his football was beautiful and that was what Madrid's supporters craved.

'Few players have had this happiness, in a Clasico the fans of their biggest rival, their greatest rival, applaud you. Few have had this happiness,' said Ronaldinho recently.

Beckham and Ronaldinho embrace, but it was the Brazilian star who shone on the pitch

Beckham and Zidane were unable to retain possession against a Barcelona midfield that included Deco

Lessons don't seem to have been learned. Perez is at the helm of the club for a second time and is still signing players that seem to fit better with his marketing and business strategies than with the sporting direction necessary.

There is a fear in Madrid that Rafa Benitez's defensive side may suffer on Saturday, with Barcelona's trident of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar reunited. 

And the latter of those three, playing in the same place as Ronaldinho, has a similar ability to dazzle and delight.

They are not the same player but the similarities are clear, with Neymar understanding what is required from him and how to behave, to keep a career at a top level for a long time, partly from the trail blazed by Ronaldinho. 

The genius of Ronaldinho delgihted Barca, and also led to the Real fans showing their appreciation

His compatriots, Ronaldo and Robinho, were powerless to make their mark on a day Ronaldinho dominated

An 18-year-old Lionel Messi, just breaking into the Barca side, provided the first goal, scored by Eto'o

Neymar has the face that Madrid's marketing men wanted too, but thanks to the likes of Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, Barcelona was in his heart and he rejected Los Blancos' overtures.

'Neymar, currently on form, is the best player in the world,' said Ronaldinho, of the player who has been holding the fort for Luis Enrique's side in the injury absence of Messi.

Ronaldinho did a lot of holding the fort himself, even if his time at the top was short-lived because of a penchant for partying. Appropriate really, that he lived his life off the pitch in a similar way to how he did on it.

He helped them wipe out the bad memories left by Luis Figo, who deserted them for Madrid. His brand of football, so attractive, skilful, daring, drew admirers around the world, for the right reasons.

And when Madridistas stood up to applaud him while he humiliated their team, he proved the old adage that beauty is only skin deep. 

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