The new-generation soccer fans may not be familiar with Ronaldo Nazario’s game, but he was arguably the best finisher in the world in his prime. While he was fortunate enough to represent some of the best soccer clubs in the world, Ronaldo made the most of the opportunity he was given by performing at the highest level possible.
In one of Ronaldo’s adventures at Real Madrid, he played under the legendary Fabio Capello, who did not hesitate to ship him off to AC Milan, citing his fondness for parties and women as his reasons for letting the two-time Ballon d’Or winner leave the Spanish capital.
Capello’s warnings to Berlusconi about Ronaldo
Ronaldo spent five years at Real Madrid, playing for the Los Blancos between 2002 and 2007 and scoring over 100 goals in 177 appearances. The Rio de Janeiro-born striker was a key member of the Galactico era with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, and David Beckham. He scored 23 league goals in his debut season to help Real Madrid win La Liga.
In the Brazilian’s latter years at the club, he played under Italian manager Fabio Capello, who thought he had distractions from other areas of his life and did not hesitate to ship him off when the opportunity came.
Capello sanctioned a deal to send the World Cup winner to AC Milan in January 2007, and the coach later revealed that that decision helped create a winning mentality in his squad. “The decision to sack Ronaldo and sign Cassano helped create a winning spirit in the team,” Capello said via Marca.
“We clawed nine points from Barcelona in the final ten games, and I’m still proud of that today. I remember Silvio Berlusconi called me to ask how Ronaldo was doing. I told him that he wasn’t even training and that he was too fond of parties and women, so signing him for Milan would be a mistake.
“The next day, I saw the headlines in the newspapers: ‘Ronaldo in Milan’. It was very funny,” he added.
Capello was right about his verdict of Ronaldo’s fondness for women. The Brazil icon was once caught in the Camp Nou director’s box having a th***s*me. The Barcelona president at the time said the youngster was only having fun. That life now seems to be far behind the two-time Ballon d’Or winner as he recently tied the knot with his girlfriend Celina Locks.
Ronaldo’s Milan career
Ronaldo was 31 years old when he joined AC Milan in January 2007. By this time, he was no longer the player he once was in his prime. He was consistently struggling with injuries and weight problems, making him spend only a season and a half with the club.
The Brazilian played 20 games for AC Milan, scoring 9 goals and providing five assists. This was Ronaldo’s lowest goal tally for any European club, as he was always a big performer for any club he turned out for in his career. After being released at the end of the 2008 season, the former PSV man joined Corinthians in his native Brazil for two years before retiring in 2011.
Would Ronaldo’s career have turned out differently if he had not struggled with injuries? Make sure to tell us in the comments.
