Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Rip Van We Go Again on February 14, 2011, 03:56:37 PM
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bbc.co.uk/football
Brazilian legend Ronaldo has confirmed his retirement from football.
The 34-year-old had a glittering career, helping Brazil win two World Cups and being named Fifa World Player of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 2002.
He had been expected to quit at the end of the season but the early elimination of his club, Corinthians, from the Copa Libertadores brought forward the date.
"I wanted to continue, but I can't. I think of an action, but I can't do it the way I want to. It's time," he said.
Ronaldo's career took him to some of Europe's top clubs, including Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Italian neighbours AC Milan and Inter Milan.
But it was on the world stage where he made the biggest impact, scoring a record total of 15 goals at three World Cups.
He also went to the 1994 tournament in the United States as a member of the Brazilian squad that went on to win the trophy, but the 17-year-old did not get on the pitch.
However, four years later he scored four goals to help Brazil reach the final against hosts France.
Mystery surrounded the match as Ronaldo's name was left off the teamsheet when it was issued 72 minutes before kick-off, only for an amended version to appear in time for the start of the game amid rumours of panic attacks and a dispute within the Brazilian camp.
The Frenchman scored twice as France won 3-0.
At the 2002 World Cup Ronaldo was at his imperious best, scoring in every game in Japan and South Korea, bar the 2-1 quarter-final victory over England.
He grabbed both of Brazil's goals in the 2-0 win over Germany in the final to take his tally for the tournament to eight.
In 2006 he scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Japan to draw level with Germany's Gerd Muller as the top scorer in World Cup finals history on 14, before breaking that record with a goal against Ghana.
He ended his international career having scored 62 goals in 97 appearances.
On the domestic front, Ronaldo first moved to Europe in the 1994-95 season, joining Dutch side PSV Eindhoven from Cruzeiro, scoring 30 league goals in his first season and 12 in 13 games during an injury-hit second campaign.
Ronaldo's strike rate alerted former England manager Sir Bobby Robson, who signed the Brazilian when he took over as Barcelona coach in 1996 and the striker continued his impressive record at the Nou Camp, scoring 47 times in 49 appearances.
In 1996, at the age of 20, he became the youngest player to win Fifa's World Player of the Year title and picked up the award again 12 months later.
By that time he had moved clubs once more, this time joining Inter for a then world-record fee of £19m. He hit 59 goals in 99 appearances during an injury-troubled four years with the Italian side.
He damaged his knee in 1999 and then again during his comeback in February 2000, which kept him out of the game for another two years.
His next move took him back to Spain, where he joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2002 for £20m. Injury stopped him making his debut until October, but he scored twice on his first appearance to endear himself to the fans and netted 21 more times that season to help win the La Liga title.
He also scored a hat-trick against Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
He also helped the Spanish side win another league title in 2006/07 but further injuries and a lack of fitness led to him being deemed surplus to requirements and he returned to Italy in 2007, joining AC Milan.
Another knee injury cut short his playing career at the San Siro in May 2008 and he returned to Brazil in 2009 to sign for Corinthians.
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For all his problems with injury and fitness, his sometimes strange off-field antics and the way his career tailed off without much dignity towards the end, I'll always remember him for those few years before the new millennium where he was as good as any forward there's ever been. Allying awesome pace and power with scarcely believable touch and finesse, as well as footballing intelligence and off the ball movement that should serve as a shining example to all youngsters learning the game. Along with Zidane, he was the finest attacking player of his generation.
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The ladyboy has a few years worth of performing to go before he gets anywhere near the real Ronaldo imho. That third goal against the mancs in the Champions League QF at OT was sublime.
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Those goals to games ratios at club and international level - playing at the very highest level of the game, are fantastic.
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Truely phenomenal player.
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Far and away the best striker I've ever seen. The perfect blend of pace, power and skill.
Strange to think that despite having won almost everything there is to win and with a phenomenal scoring record he still underachieved because of his injuries.
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Fantastic player !
Those goals to games ratios at club and international level - playing at the very highest level of the game, are fantastic.
Agreed Nick. Six goals in every nine games. Impressive figures. Daft hairdo's.
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I tried to guess who this was about from the title. I failed, though in retrospect I should have. Duh.
Sad what injury can do - I remember a close-up of his knee, post-op, after a tackle playing for Real. Weeping blood, it looked like Frankenstein's first effort - the one he did when he came home from the pub completely ratted and said to Igor: "I've got thish brilliant idea, Iggy old chap. Hic".
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Wonderful player and if Stanley Victor Collymore had Ronaldo brain and hunger he would be up there as well.
I love watching him play for Real Madrid and I am glad to see him in action at the Bernabeu as long with Sir David Beckham, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul and Figo.
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Ronaldo fenomeno
Good player, much better than ladyboy
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Amazing player, one of the best strikers of all time.
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Dalian Atkinson with a brain and a good attitude.
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I echo these sentiments...
Farewell Real Ronaldo
Thank you for being the best striker I have seen in my life.
For the goals, pace, power, instinct, trickery, audaciousness, the grit to return from crippling injuries, the stepover at full speed, scoring at the biggest and greatest stages in football.
Smiling through the pain, the misses, being hacked, the partnership with Romario, the ridiculous season at Barca, being ace at Corinthians besides being considered fat and knackered beyond repair.
For World Cup 2002, and for "you're supposed to put the ball in the net" in the Joga Bonito crossbar challenge video.
Oh, and the transvestites.
O Fenomeno, when I grow up (I am 28) I want to play like you.
Bonga Ntshingila
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I went to a game in Barcelona in 97 when he was at his best,he scored two(though i missed one as i was takinga leak!!)i was proud to say that i had seen him in the flesh,because around that time he was unplayable. Never back to his best after his first knee injury in Italy,but he was still a great player as he showed in the World Cup in Japan.
It's worth checking out some of his goals on youtube when he was at Barca.
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"I can't take any more," the 34-year-old star told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper. "I wanted to continue, but I can't do it any more. I think of an action, but I can't do it the way I want to. It's time."
"It's the body that's hurting me," he told Globo television. "The head wants to go on, but the body can't take any more."
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A real shame that injuries took their toll on him because he was one of the greatest strikers I've ever seen, and I'm old enough to have seen more than a few of the game's legends.
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Probably the last rock'n'roll world class footballer we're ever likely to see. Up until two career threatening injuries at Inter he was a slim, skilful goal machine. How he still managed to overcome the injuries and all the controversy surrounding the '98 World Cup Final to come back and win a World Cup as top goalscorer, League and Champions League titles for Real Madrid was nothing short of incredible. Managing all the above while struggling with his weight, and being a party animal defies belief. Without looking it up has any footballer won the World Player of the Year on two separate occassions six years apart like he did (1996 and 2002 - he also won in '97)? His natural talent was ridiculous. And he still had time to wind down his career by pissing about a bit, his chronic injuries a by-product of his sedentary lifestyle I imagine. And to think that most people, certainly under 18, will always associate the name Ronaldo with that Portugese ******. Not a patch on the tubby, bucktoothed Brazillian genius.
Elvis would have been proud of him.
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I’m a bit late to this thread but hey ho!
One of my favourite players and I was lucky enough to see him at Villa Park at the start of his career. I think as a 16/17yr old in his first season at Cruzeiro he scored something like 45 in 48 games and as has been said he continued with that sort of record at some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Played with a smile on his face and will be remembered as one of the greats. His power, pace and skill was something else.
I was listening to the Telegraph podcast last week and they had a Brazilian journalist on who rated Romario more highly than Ronaldo and in his opinion Romario was second only to Pele.
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One of the best strikers of my lifetime.
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One of my favourite players and I was lucky enough to see him at Villa Park at the start of his career.
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I was listening to the Telegraph podcast last week and they had a Brazilian journalist on who rated Romario more highly than Ronaldo and in his opinion Romario was second only to Pele.
Fernando Duarte. Who is absolutely nuts.
And managed to completely forget that Garrincha existed at all.
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One of my favourite players and I was lucky enough to see him at Villa Park at the start of his career.
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I assume Mr Screamer means the Brazil v Sweden game in the Umbro Cup at Viila. I was there to, Brazil had Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos in their side both fairly young and it was Carlos who really shone that day. As did Juninho who later went to Boro. Shame it didn't get a bigger crowd, it was only half full.
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One of my favourite players and I was lucky enough to see him at Villa Park at the start of his career.
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I assume Mr Screamer means the Brazil v Sweden game in the Umbro Cup at Viila. I was there to, Brazil had Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos in their side both fairly young and it was Carlos who really shone that day. As did Juninho who later went to Boro. Shame it didn't get a bigger crowd, it was only half full.
Thats the one, if memory serves Edmundo got the only goal of the game and it may have been set up from a left wing cross by Roberto Carlos.
I was listening to the Telegraph podcast last week and they had a Brazilian journalist on who rated Romario more highly than Ronaldo and in his opinion Romario was second only to Pele.
Fernando Duarte. Who is absolutely nuts.
And managed to completely forget that Garrincha existed at all.
That must be the chap, your right he only mentioned Garrincha after being reminded by James Richardson. I'm not old enough to have seen Pele or Garrincha and although Romario was a fine player I cannot imagine that he was anywhere near the standard of those two.
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I still don't like the way the FIFA technical board gave him a goal against China in 2002 that was definitely an own goal. But Nike needed the goalscoring record I suppose.
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I saw him a few times for Madrid (along with Zidane, Carlos, Figo and Raul), he was awesome. Didn't stop the spoilt Madrid fans moaning when they wern't 3-0 up after 20mins - I sat there thinking you guys should come and watch Milan fookin Baros!
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Probably the last rock'n'roll world class footballer we're ever likely to see. Up until two career threatening injuries at Inter he was a slim, skilful goal machine. How he still managed to overcome the injuries and all the controversy surrounding the '98 World Cup Final to come back and win a World Cup as top goalscorer, League and Champions League titles for Real Madrid was nothing short of incredible. Managing all the above while struggling with his weight, and being a party animal defies belief. Without looking it up has any footballer won the World Player of the Year on two separate occassions six years apart like he did (1996 and 2002 - he also won in '97)? His natural talent was ridiculous. And he still had time to wind down his career by pissing about a bit, his chronic injuries a by-product of his sedentary lifestyle I imagine. And to think that most people, certainly under 18, will always associate the name Ronaldo with that Portugese c***. Not a patch on the tubby, bucktoothed Brazillian genius.
Elvis would have been proud of him.
Class post.