The first thing that comes to our mind when someone mentions the name Ronaldo is Cristiano Ronaldo, Cr7,Cr9. Luis Nazario De Lima Ronaldo is usually referred to as, ‘Fat Ronaldo’, ‘Mota(fat) Ronaldo’, ‘Mottai(bald) Ronaldo’, ‘Weird hair cut ronaldo’, ‘The other Ronaldo’. I genuinely feel heartbroken when someone as great as Ronaldo is reduced to such low levels and is remembered not for what he has achieved, but for how much he weighs or his hairdo. So I decided to take time out and write about a player who is probably the biggest inspiration for footballers. Luis Nazario De Lima Ronaldo, broke on to the scene at Brazilian club Cruziero where he scored 44 goals in 44 games. He was included in the world cup winning Brazil squad of 1994 , following which he was scouted by European side PSV Eindhoven, where he spent two seasons scoring 54 goals in 57 games. This 19 year old was slowly gaining reputation for his pace, acceleration, body balance, close control and a unique technique which awed both fans and pundits. Soon enough, Spanish giants Barcelona came knocking and Ronaldo played for the Catalans in the 96-97 season where he scored 47 goals in 49 games and also became the youngest player to ever win the FIFA world player of the year award, a record that stands to date. Lionel Messi is only 22 years of age, scored 47 goals in 53 games in the past season and looks like the front runner to another fifa world player of the year. Its funny how people struggle to find superlatives to describe his achievements. As if this hasn’t been done before. At the age of 21, Ronaldo had already won a world cup, 2 fifa world player of the year awards and if he had been given those four extra games, only God knows how many more records he would have broken. The following season Italian side Internazionale signed him. He ended up winning the FIFA world’s best player award for the second time. He traveled with the Brazilian squad for the 1998 world cup with great expectations. Brazil reached the finals, but Ronaldo performed like a shadow of the player who had plundered his way to more than 80 goals and countless awards in the previous two years. He was injured in a collision with French keeper, Barthez. The shocking truth was revealed , Ronaldo had been rushed to hospital after suffering a convulsion in his sleep the night before the final. Brazil lost the game 3-0 Sadly, things did not end there. On November 21st 1999, tragedy struck again, as he ruptured a knee tendon while playing in a Serie A clash against Lecce. After surgery and 5 months of rehabilitation, he returned on April 12 2000, he played only 7 minutes in the Coppa Italia finals, he had injured his knee for the second time. A person involved with any sport would know that a knee injury is the most common career ending injury. Many people had written off Ronaldo, the reason being that even after rehabilitation, a player loses a huge chunk of pace, and Ronaldo’s game relied heavily on frightening acceleration and pace. But Ronaldo’s story wasn’t over. He proved everyone wrong and against all odds returned to action for Inter in 2002 and scored 7 goals in 14 games. He had changed his game style. He relied lesser on pace and more on technique and an improved eye for goal. The Brazilian unveiled his new style in the 2002 world cup to devastating effect where he guided Brazil towards another world cup final and scored 2 goals. He scored 8 goals in the tournament and won the MVP. He also won the Fifa world player and Laureus come back of the year award that year He was then transferred to Real Madrid where he was given a heroes reception by the fans. Doing what he had always done best, Ronaldo thanked his fans with 2 goals on his debut. Despite a series of injuries, Ronaldo went on to score 104 goals in 184 games for Madrid over the period of 5 years at the club and won the La Liga in 2003 and 2007. He later took his revenge on Barthez, who had collided into and injured him in the 98 world cup final, with a stunning hat trick away to Manchester United which earned him a standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful. Ronaldo played in the 2006 world cup despite doubts being raised over his fitness and his weight. He ended up breaking Gerd Muller’s record and became the all time world cup top scorer with 15 goals. Ronaldo was later transferred to AC Milan where he scored 8 goals from 20 games and for the third time, he injured his knee. Everyone including Pele had written him off again. Milan did not renew his contract at the end of the season. Ronaldo, again proved everyone wrong. He signed for Corinthians where he scored 30 goals in 55 appearances. Many potentially great footballers have had career threatening injuries. Michael Owen, someone who was once feared for his lightning pace, faced the same injury as Ronaldo and he could not return to become half the player he once was. Paul Gascoigne, Tiger woods, Joe Cole, Gary Neville and many more athletes have had career ending injuries and could never return to their best form. There’s a thin line that separates the great, from the rest. It is definitely a hard task to become the best. What’s harder? To become the best, fall, be written off and then rise to become the best again. Now I ask you, will you remember Ronaldo for his weight, or for his goal scoring rate? Will you remember him for what he did to his hair or what he could do with his feet ? The next time someone says Ronaldo, will you think of the Portuguese winger who has won the Fifa world player award once or the Brazilian who has won it thrice? I dunno about you, but for me, its not Pele or Maradona, nor Messi or CR7, it’s the other Ronaldo……THE PHENOMENON
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 00:01:16 +0000
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