Ronaldinho Landed In Milan

As one player left Barcelona on Wednesday, another arrived.

Ronaldinho, the Brazilian midfielder, flew to Milan to undergo a medical to confirm his transfer from Barcelona to AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Alexander Hleb, a Belarussian midfielder, flew to Barcelona for his medical tests before being presented to the public.

The 27-year-old Hleb scored 10 goals for Arsenal after joining from Stuttgart in 2005. Spanish media reported that Barcelona has agreed to pay Arsenal €15 million, or $25.9 million, with a further €3 million dependent on results.

Ronaldinho agreed to a contract that would last until 2011 after the two teams finished three months of haggling late on Tuesday
"Ronaldinho is ours," Milan's president and the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, told Italy's Sky TV.

Barcelona said Milan had agreed to pay an initial €21 million. The English club Manchester City reportedly bid €32 million for the Brazilian. Milan will pay Barcelona another €4 million later if it clinches a place in the 2009-10 Champions League.

"The player ended up playing where he wanted to. Ronaldinho wants to be part of Milan," Txiki Begiristain, the Barcelona sporting director, said.

The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Milan will pay Ronaldinho €6.5 million per season.

"I am sorry for the wait but the facts show that I have always wanted Milan," Ronaldinho told Gazzetta dello Sport. "This is not the moment to talk about Barcelona because I want to enjoy this new chapter of my life. I will only say that at Milan I promise commitment, not only on my technique."

Ronaldinho helped Barcelona win a Champions League title and was also named FIFA World Player of the Year while at the club, but the relationship soured last season. The club and the player were arguing right to the end. Barcelona had told Ronaldinho, who is 28, that it would not allow him to play for Brazil at the Olympics.

Milan has blocked a compatriot, Kaká, from playing in China but media reports Wednesday said that part of Ronaldinho's deal was that he would be allowed to go to the Olympics.

Ronaldinho scored 91 goals in 200 appearances in his five seasons at the Camp Nou, and helped lead Barcelona to consecutive Spanish league titles in 2005 and 2006 and the Champions League trophy in 2006.

He was under contract with Barcelona through 2010 but was coming off one of his worst seasons with nine goals in 26 overall appearances.

Assorted injuries - ranging from a foot problem to thigh injury to knee tendinitis - accompanied by concerns over his social habits contributed to Ronaldinho playing the fewest games since first moving to Europe to play for French side Paris Saint-Germain in 2001.

Since its 2-1 victory over Arsenal in Paris in the 2006 European Champions League final, Barcelona's dip in form has paralleled that of its biggest star, who continued with his late-night partying despite consecutive trophy-less seasons and drew continued criticism for being visibly overweight.

Milan is coming off a disappointing season in which it finished fifth in Serie A and was eliminated by Arsenal in the second round of the Champions League. Milan will play in the UEFA Cup this season.

Vicente del Bosque, the former Real Madrid coach, has been hired to become the national coach of Spain, the team Luís Aragonés led to the European Championship title last month.

He agreed to a two-year contract that will take him to the 2010 World Cup.

Del Bosque and his staff were expected to be presented Thursday. Del Bosque has hinted that he would not change the style of play that led Spain to its first major trophy in 44 years last month.

Del Bosque is the country's 50th national coach. His first game is Aug. 20 with an exhibition at Denmark, the team's first match since its Euro 2008 triumph.

The 69-year-old Aragonés stepped down this month to lead the Turkish club Fenerbahce the next two seasons. Aragonés lost only four games during his 54 games. His 38 victories left him at the top of Spain's coaching list.