Ronaldinho fends off criticism of Fluminense return

Ronaldinho has brushed off criticism from former Brazil teammate Fred on the eve of the Florida Cup friendly soccer tournament.

Both players will represent Fluminense in the eight-team competition despite the fact Ronaldinho is no longer an official part of the club's squad.

The 35-year-old left the Rio de Janeiro outfit by mutual consent in October after failing to score or provide an assist in nine matches.

His return for the Florida Cup honors a clause written into the attacker's contract when he joined Fluminense in July.

In an interview with Brazilian media in November, Fred said Ronaldinho's participation in the tournament was "not a good idea".

Ronaldinho refused to be drawn into a war of words with the striker on Friday.

"Everybody is entitled to their opinion," he told a press conference promoting the Florida Cup.

The two-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner ruled out a permanent return to Fluminense and said he would make a decision about his playing future in the coming weeks.

When asked if he planned to return to a top-level European club, the playmaker replied: "Let's see, I can't say."

Fluminense will debut in the tournament against Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday. The competition also features Internacional (Brazil), Atletico Mineiro (Brazil), Corinthians (Brazil), Schalke 04 (Germany), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) and Santa Fe (Colombia). Endi