Ronaldo – El Phenomenon’s journey comes to an end with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Brazil-c2858 (Part 2)
After winning a bronze medal with the Brazilian national team in the 1996 Olympics, Ronaldo soon parted ways with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Total-c40747 time at Eindhoven, Ronaldo netted 42 goals in 46 appearances for the Dutch footballing
giants. His goal ratio of almost a single goal per single appearance was hampered by the fact that he was bogged down by a knee injury in his first season at the club.
Nonetheless when Barcelona came calling for the young Brazilian in the aftermath of the 1996 http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Robson-c31388 at Camp Nou. In his attempt to match legendary figures
such as http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604. Ronaldo sliced open Spanish defences with ease as he sailed through his season
at the club without any injuries.
In doing so, the Brazilian starlet scored 47 goals in 49 appearances for the Spanish giants. His endeavours in the club brought in success for Barcelona in shape of UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and Copa del Rey but Ronaldo’s efforts
were also awarded by FIFA as they crowned him the FIFA Player of the Year for 1996.
At 20 years of age, the Brazilian prodigy was getting started when the 1998 FIFA World Cup began in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Love-c22466 to score goals
after passing all the defenders as well as the keeper. This is not my speciality, but my habit.”
Before Ronaldo made it to the FIFA 1998 World Cup, Barcelona had accepted a world record bid by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Inter-c39567 Milan for the Brazilian striker’s services.
Priced at 18 million pounds, Ronaldo went to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Italy-c2926 and showed why he was the most expensive footballer at that time. In his first season for the Nerazzurri, Ronaldo netted 34 goals in total and this fine run of form meant that
he won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the second year running in 1997 as well. El Phenomenon entered the 1998 World Cup with a point to prove at the international level.
In France, he led Brazil to the final of the competition but then something unimaginable happened. The Brazilian center forward who had scored four goals and assisted three goals in the World Cup suffered a fit before the final
match against France in Paris. With deteriorating fitness levels and illness, Ronaldo’s name was excluded from the team sheet at first but then the Brazil resubmitted the team sheet to the referee and Ronaldo’s name was included. However Ronaldo was unable
to repeat his World Cup heroics for Brazil. He failed to show up at all in the game as he looked like a shadow of his former self.
Brazil went onto lose the final of the FIFA 1998 World Cup to France by three goals to one but Ronaldo was the major target of the press in Brazil. All kinds of rumours surfaced about the young striker but later on it was confirmed
that the youngster had suffered a convulsion in his sleep a night before the match.
In the third and the last part of this series, we shall take a look at the injuries that plagued Ronaldo’s remarkable football career after the 1998 FIFA World Cup....
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