Roberto de Assis Moreira

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Roberto de Assis Moreira is the older brother, manager, agent and adviser of Brazilian football star Ronaldinho. Although Assis is known predominantly for his intelligent managing of better known and more illustrious younger brother Ronaldinho's career, he himself was a budding football talent in his youth. In fact, Brazilian giants Grêmio offered Assis' family a villa in order to keep the promising youngster with the club.

However, that very villa was to be the scene of an unthinkable tragedy that would hit the family soon after - the father of Ronaldinho (whose real name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) and Roberto, Joao Da Silva Moreira, was killed in a horrific swimming pool electrical accident. At the time, future FIFA World Cup and Spanish La Liga winner and two-time FIFA World Player of the Year recipient Ronaldinho was just 8 years old, while Roberto was 17.

Previously, the family had lived in a wooden house in the middle of a favela or slum in Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil. At this time, João, a solderer by trade, often worked as a car park security guard at Grêmio's stadium in order to supplement his meagre income.

Roberto's success as an upcoming footballer helped his family leave the slums behind for a more comfortable home, but his hopes of playing top-level football with Grêmio were all but destroyed when he suffered a serious knee injury, which led him to playing second-tier football in Switzerland before stints in Japan and Mexico.

Years later, Roberto's younger brother Ronaldo (now known only as Ronaldinho), would emerge as an even hotter talent at Grêmio's youth set-up before departing his home country for French side PSG and eventually, Spanish giants FC Barcelona, with whom he currently plies his trade.

Today, Roberto Assis acts as brother Ronaldinho's agent and adviser, and is credited by many, including Ronaldinho himself, as a major influence and guiding force of the player whom many consider the best in the world.

During his acceptance speech after receiving the FIFA World Player of the Year award for a second consecutive year in December 2005, Ronaldinho paid tribute to his brother: "He's my idol. He's been through a lot and has helped me every step of the way. He has encouraged me never to stop trying."