体坛英语新闻：Ronalidiho receives hero's welcome from 20,000 Flamengo fans

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian striker Ronaldinho got a hero's welcome as 20,000 fans greeted him at a ceremony in the Flamengo stadium here on Wednesday.

Early in the morning, fans started gathering at the Flamengo stadium. Dressed in the team's red and black shirt, with many wearing Ronaldinho masks, fans waited for hours to witness the player go up on the stage that had been set up for the ceremony.

Holding hands with Flamengo's president Patricia Amorim, Ronaldinho arrived on the stage, surrounded by bodyguards, after passing the grandstand with great difficulty.

"Ronaldinho is ours!" said Flamengo president Patricia Amorim.

After 10 year's football in Europe, The FIFA Player of the Year 2004 and 2005 finally retuned to his homland.

"Thank you for caring. I want to say that I hope to repay it all. Nation, I'm closed to you. Now I'm Mengao (the nickname of Flamengo fan)" Ronaldinho said.

The 30-year old star signed for the Brazilian football club on Monday. It is reported that Flamengo paid AC Milan three million euros and Ronaldinho will earn more than 600,000 dollors a month. The striker will play for Flamengo until June 2014.

According to Rio's police, there were at least 20,000 fans on site.

Flamengo won the Brazilian championship in 2009, but it was very close to relegation last year.