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FATSO OR FENOMENO?
Unloved, overweight and injured- yet Ronaldo is still the best striker in the world
By Barney Cullum
Despite media coverage that might have you believe otherwise, not everyone has turned against Ronaldo. The Brazilian has been booed by sections of the Bernabeau since he berated the lack of faith shown in him by Real Madrid fans prior to the Champions League tie with Arsenal, but he has certainly not been barracked from every corner of the stadium.
For every supporter that has abused Ronaldo over the past month, there have many more holding up banners expressing love and appreciation and cheering on his goals.
As regular visitors to this website will be well aware, the goals have been flowing steadily again of late. Four strikes in four games prior to an injury against Real Sociedad last Saturday (April 8) has seen Ronaldo back in the groove.
The injury is only minor – a thigh strain that will sideline him for 2 weeks- and Madrid have the resources to win the games he will miss against Getafe and Malaga without too much difficulty.
Whether or not he will be drafted back into the team that faces Osasuna on April 30 will be very telling. Juan Ramon Lopez Caro may have spent the last few years handling Real’s reserve team players, but he has shown already he’s unafraid of dropping Ronaldo for big games. The number nine was excluded from the Real team that contested the Madrid derby in early March- back when debate over the merits of the former Barcelona striker was at its most intense.
While games against Atletico are always huge, the upcoming encounter with little Osasuna will be the biggest match of the year. Osasuna have punched above their weight all season and are Madrid’s biggest remaining test this season in the chase to secure the second qualifying place for the Champions League proper, behind Barcelona.
It is a three horse race between Madrid, Valencia and Osasuna and if the caretaker manager opts not to recall Ronaldo for the biggest six-pointer of the season then the Carioca will surely search for somewhere new to call home after the World Cup.
Still only 29, there’s certainly no chance of Ronnie returning to Rio to play for his beloved Flamengo for a few years yet. The last month has summed up his time at Madrid, however, and his days at the Bernabeau look numbered. A run of form curtailed by injury… we have just seen it so many times before.
And not just at Real. The stop-start nature of his career was far more frustrating at Inter Milan, of course, where he suffered two serious knee injuries and played hardly any football at all for three years.
At his best, Ronaldo is still a phenomenal striker and the Inter board would love to take him back to the San Siro to link up with his compatriot Adriano.
His goal against Barcelona in the classico demonstrated all his attributes; masterly ball control, composure, dribbling and clinical finishing. With Alvaro Recoba wanting away from Italy and Obafeme Martins failing to progress this year only the most unforgiving ultras would refuse to take him back.
City rivals AC Milan are a club with more direction though and Andriy Shevchenko has already made it clear he would be made more than welcome with the Rossoneri. “He doesn’t seem happy at Madrid and needs a new stimulus,” the Ukranian said in February.
“He’s a great striker and will find open doors at all the clubs of the world, including Milan,” added Adriano Galliani, vice-president of Milan, the same week.
It has been yet another ‘transitional’ season at Madrid but the one constant friend Ronaldo had always been to rely, through all the managerial changes, was the former president Florention Perez.
Ronaldo claims his future is out of his hands and that he will be “the last to decide” [whether he stays or goes] but with Perez having resigned in January a new era is set to start at the Bernabeau, and that means the end for the galacticos.
It’s a shame that Ronaldo seems to be considered the most dispensable. His outspoken criticism of the fans and his expanding waistline is perhaps how the board will justify it, but he nonetheless is once again Madrid’s top scorer this year.
His body may be carrying more than the official figure of 82kgs recorded on his personal website but this hasn’t stopped him weighing in with an impressive 14 league goals this campaign- despite the niggling injuries.
Ronaldo has scored more goals from open play than any Brazilian playing in top flight football in Europe this year. That’s more than Adriano, more than Fred, more than Robinho and more even than Ronaldinho (who’s figures have been boosted by seven penalties this season).
Ronaldinho has tipped Ronaldo to be the “main player of the World Cup”.
For those who have questioned Ronaldo this season, dare you question Ronaldinho as well?
By Barney Cullum
Deputy Editor, New African Soccer magazine
barney@newafricansoccer.co.uk
FULL NAME
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima
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DATE OF BIRTH
September 22, 1976
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PLACE OF BIRTH
Bento Ribeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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HEIGHT
183cm
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NICKNAME
O Fenômeno
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CURRENT CLUB
Real Madrid
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PROFESSIONAL CLUBS
1993-1994 - Cruzeiro (14 app, 12 goals)
1994–1996 - PSV Eindhoven (46 app, 42 goals)
1996-1997 - FC Barcalona (37 app, 34 goals)
1997–2002 - Inter Milan (68 app, 49 goals)
2002-Present - Real Madrid (112 app, 78 goals)
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BRAZILIAN TEAM
1994 - Present (90 app, 87 goals)
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