Rio de Janeiro, Sep 24 (IANS): An emotional Ronaldinho shed tears as he thanked Atletico Mineiro fans for their tribute to his mother Miguelina, who is recovering from cancer.

Ronaldinho was visibly moved before the team's 0-0 home draw against Gremio Sunday when supporters held up a banner with an image of Miguelina and the words "Faith in God," reports Xinhua.

The 32-year-old immediately approached the fans and made a series of gestures to show his gratitude.

"It made me very happy to see the affection they gave me," Ronaldinho said after the match.

"I wanted to score to show my appreciation to the fans but unfortunately the goal didn't come."

The goalless draw against his former club didn't concern Ronaldinho, who insisted Atletico remained contenders for the championship despite slipping four points behind leader Fluminense.

"The draw is important because it means we have now taken four points in the two matches against Gremio," the former Barcelona and AC Milan star said.

"That is a positive result against a good team. We had our chances to win but in the end it wasn't a bad result."