Ronaldo Soccer Supersite
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Full Name : Ronaldo Luiz Nazario da Lima Date of Birth : 22nd September 1976 Born : Bento Ribero (Río de Janeiro, Brasil) Height : 183 cm Weight : 75 kg Clubs : International appearances : 35 Matches/25 Goals International debut : 24.3.1994 vs Argentina (2:1). Honours/Titles won : |
| Background information
: Ronaldo is regarded as Brazil's greatest talent since Pele. He was
spotted at the age of 14 by another former Brazilian great, Jairzinho,
who became his sponsor and mentor. Two years later, he was playing in
the Brazilian First Division for Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte, scoring 54
goals in 54 games and prompting Jairzinho to observe 'not even Pele
managed that at the start of his career'. The top teams in Europe clamoured for his signature, but PSV scooped them all because Ronaldo was influenced by advice from Jairzinho and another top Brazilian striker, Romario, who also had a spell with the Dutch club. 'Romario told me that it was one of the most professional and best-organised clubs in Europe,' Ronaldo later revealed. 'He said it would be the best set-up to learn about European football.' Ronaldo had the perfect springboard for world recognition. While Dutch rivals Ajax carried all before them, winning the European Cup, the young South American wrote his own headlines, ending his first season as Holland's top scorer with 35 goals. At the start of the 1996 season, he was transferred for what was then a world record 2.5 billion pesetas ($19.2 million) to Spanish giants Barcelona. There Ronaldo became the undisputed idol of the club's supporters who were gripped by what the Spanish press termed 'Ronaldo-mania', Ronaldo winning the 1996 World Footballer of the Year award and scoring 34 goals in 37 league matches. In less than four years Ronaldo's earnings had multiplied a hundred times, starting from the modest £350 a week he picked up in Brazil to the £34,000 he was earning in Spain. However, Ronaldo's agents turned down a 10-year contract reportedly worth $30 million when negotiations broke down over whether the money would come from the club or a sponsor and after only one season with Barcelona Ronaldo was on his way to Serie A. He finally ended months of speculation over his future when he signed a multi-million dollar five-year contract with Italian club Internazionale in June. For all his soaring profile, Ronaldo remains shy and feels totally embarrassed by comparisons with Pele. 'Of course I am flattered,' he said. 'It's natural people talk about the coincidences with Pele's career. But before people get carried away, let's see if I have as much talent.' Ronaldo now lives in Milan with his fiancee, model Susanna Werner, who has been nicknamed "Ronaldinha". He is the third son of a couple who separated when he was 14 because of his father's alcoholism. He drinks nothing stronger than mineral water. |