He was considered lost for football. After three years of continuous injuries and misfortunes, the “phenomenon” helped Brazil to win a trophy. An extraordinary story

Frederick Donze, 02 July 2002

You can’t be a symbol and remain innocent, but the long hug of the “king” Pele and his heir after the match only remind of the wonderful resurrection, which was quite consistent with thanks to God from the winners of this championship. Ronaldo scored (twice), Brazil won. And the most “replicated” striker of the world joined his outstanding sixty -year -old predecessor. Ronaldo was equal to the pele in the number of goals scored in the final stages of the World Cup (12). This is from the ordinary event, revenge worthy of the most beautiful saga. It seemed that the “tooth” was overestimated, it seemed that he died for football, after two operations on the right knee. But at the age of 25, he returned, showing his best qualities, and took home his first real title in a football career.

When Ronaldo first appeared in the national team, at the 1994 World Cup, he was represented as a “New Pele”, but never stepped on the fields of America. Too young, too fragile. And too vulnerable: a fragile diamond open in the suburbs of Rio. When the young man arrived in Europe, in the year of the championship, his health was still shaky ┘ in the Dutch “Eindhoven” and then in Barcelona, he often had muscle pains, and he was forced to spend many weeks on vacation due to sprains.

But these were still flowers. Milan “Inter” laid out a tidy sum for the player (42 million Swiss francs in 1997). After signing a fabulous contract with Nike, Ronaldo became a advertising man, but the troubles did not leave him: stretching, muscle pain, mysterious epileptic seizure on the eve of the lost world championship in France in 1998 - then the sponsors accused Ronaldo to enter the field, despite poor health. The worst thing happened on November 21, 1999, when in the match of the Italian championship against the “lechch” he collapsed to the ground. The diagnosis is a partial rupture of the right knee tendon. Worse, after 143 days, when he returned to the field to take part in the official match for the Italy Cup against Lazio, the ligament could not stand the load and exploded completely. “Unfortunately, I am convinced that Ronaldo’s chances to return to football are no more than 50 to 50,” the Inter doctor sighed. Others showed even less optimism: “He was lost for sports,” the great surgeons predicted.

But, spilling sweat and tears, Ronaldo slowly began to return to the fore. On December 9, 2001, he scored his first goal in the Italian championship, after 749 days of “hunger”. Apart from two brief periods of rest in connection with muscle overwork, he took part in most matches of the second circle, when Inter lost to Skudetto “Juventus in the last round”. “This young man has an incredibly strong character,” admires Professor Gerard Sailent, a Parisian specialist who operated on Ronaldo twice, “outside the field, he is the courtesy and modesty, but what a willpower! I can assure you, few people in sports managed to do what Ronaldo achieved! ”

He was able to make the critics silent and played a leading role in achieving a common victory. In seven matches, Ronaldo scored 8 goals - becoming the best scorer - and proved that he is an exceptional player who was able to blow up the opponent’s defense with lightning -fast acceleration, at times he really played inspired, brilliantly. Yesterday, without a flashing, the fragile artist scored twice in front of his “Savior”, Gerard Sayan. And he appreciates every minute on the field. “Each goal that I score today,” Ronaldo said recently, “this is a victory. Every time I go out onto the field, I feel great joy, this is a great honor for me. I can say that the nightmare has come to an end. ” Decisively?

Translation: inosmi.ru
Published on the website inosmi.ru: 02 July 2002, 11:04
Original publication: Original article

Ronaldo, History of Phenomenal Return ("Le Temps", Switzerland)